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 75
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 75
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 75
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 75
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Mr. Noble, since locating here, has been continuously engaged in improving his land and raising stock. He now has his homestead all under cultivation and improved accordingly to the most approved modern methods.
To Mr. and Mrs. Noble have been born three children, Kenneth, Esther and Ruth.
In making his home in this section of the country, which was but very sparsely inhabited at the time of his advent, Mr. Noble has been compelled to endure many trials and vicissi- tudes, but he has successfully met and over- came every besetting obstacle until he now has as nice and comfortable a little home as is to be found in days of travel over the Big Bend.
NATT WITT resides about one half mile west from Harrington on one of the finest places in southern Lincoln county. His residence is a modern nine room structure, supplied with hot and cold water and all other conveniences needed and is in the center of an estate of nine hundred and sixty acres. Commodious barns and other improvements are grouped around and the entire place is furnished with water from an excellent well. A windmill and gaso- line engine lifts the water to a large reservoir and thus it is carried where needed. Mr. Witt is one of the earliest pioneers of the county and labored faithfully and hard to get started here. meeting with all the adversities that beset the frontiersman and overcoming them all by deter- mination and energy. He has finally succeeded and is now enjoying a goodly portion as the re- sult of his labor. In addition to the estate men- tioned, his children own two hundred and forty acres, well improved, which reverted to them through the death of their grandfather.
Natt Witt was born in Georgetown, Tennes- see on May II, 1865, the son of Captain Jo- seph and Mary (Whitmore) Witt, natives of Virginia and Tennessee, respectively. The fa- ther was one of the oldest pioneers in Tennes- see and throughout the war in the Union ariny. After being honorably discharged he returned to Georgetown and resided on his farm adjoin- ing the city until his death in 1895, being then aged sixty-six. The mother died in 1883. Her father was one of the earliest settlers in Meigs
county, Tennessee. Mr. Witt has the follow- ing brothers and sisters, Maggie, deceased, William H., George M., our subject, Joseph D., deceased, Thomas C., deceased, Walter M., Mrs. Kate Beard, and Mrs. Mary Anderson.
Natt grew up on the farm and received his education from the common schools and in the academy. On November 12, 1884, he married Miss Mollie E. Marler, who was born and raised in Georgetown, Tennessee. Her parents, Hambric and Sarah E. (Seaborn) Marler. were born in Tennessee and died in Lincoln county, in 1900, and on February 18, 1904, respective- ly. There is a tradition that the name Seaborne originated among Mrs. Witt's ancestors in this way. An infant was born at sea and his moth- er died and they gave him the name of Sea- borne. Our subject came west, landing in Sprague, on March 27, 1887. He soon selected a homestead six miles west from where Har- rington is now located. His labors were wisely bestowed in opening up and improving this place until 1902, when he sold the entire prop- erty and removed to his present place. Between seven and eight hundred acres are devoted to grain and the improvements are first class in every respect. His residence is so situated as to overlook the town of Harrington and the ad- jacent country and is one of the most beautiful in Lincoln county.
On December 15, 1901, Mrs. Witt was called to the world beyond, leaving her husband and six children to mourn her death. She was a faithful Christian woman and was mourned by all who knew her. The children are named as follows; August, Winifred, Roy N., Adelia, Walter H. and Joe W.
On December 23, 1903, Mr. Witt married Mrs. Frances J. Wise, the daughter of Charles E. and Elizabeth A. Hartley of Republic, Washington. She has one daughter by her. former marriage, Madge Wise, who is now liv- ing at home. Mr: Witt is a member of the A. F. & A. M., while he and his wife both belong to the Presbyterian church. His former wife also belonged to that denomination. Mr. Witt had very much hardship to endure in the early days in this country and an outlined account of his struggles would fill an ordinary volume. Suffice it to say that he met them with a brave heart and a determination to overcome as is evidenced by his present standing and property holding.
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HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
JOHN LOCKHART resides about six miles northwest from Harrington, where he owns a half section of land in company with his son. They handle a section of land to wheat in addition to the amount they own and produce annually many thousand bushels of this profit- able cereal.
John Lockhart was born on February 4, 1842, the son of Robert and Sarah L. (Lem- mon ) Lockhart. The father was born in Penn- sylvania and died in Mercer county, Illinois, in 1865, aged fifty-three. The mother was also born in the Keystone State and her death oc- curred in Mercer county, Illinois, in 1866. Our subject is the third of a family of ten children, all living but three. He came to Mercer coun- ty with his parents when very young and there grew to manhood. After receiving his educa- tion in the common schools, the war broke out and he enlisted in Company A. Eighty-third Illinois Infantry, but was later transferred to Company E, Sixty-first Volunteer Infantry. He was at Clarksville, Tennessee, when President Lincoln was assassinated, and at Nashville, the same state he received his honorable discharge later. After the war he went west with a train to Helena, Montana, and had much trouble with hostile Indians. The same year, Mr. Lockhart returned down the Yellowstone and Missouri in a Mackinaw boat, making the trip to Sioux City, Iowa, in twenty-seven days. Re- turning to Mercer county, he was married on September 24, 1868, the nuptials occurring in Rock Island. Miss Lucinda E. Decker then became his bride. Her parents, Westfall and Anna M. (Lougley) Decker, were natives of Ohio and England, respectively. The father's ancestors came from Holland. The parents are both deceased now. They had a family of eleven children six of whom are living, and all in Mercer county except Mrs. Lockhart. After marriage. Mr. Lockhart went to Mills county, Iowa, and in 1880 went to California for his health and upon its improvement, he returned to Iowa. Then he sold out and settled in Saun- ders county, Nebraska. In 1885 he went thence
to Polk county, Oregon, and later settled in Umatilla county of the same state. The next move was to Oakesdale, Washington, and thence he went to Priest River, Idaho. In the spring of 1899 Mr. Lockhart came from that point to his present residence in Lincoln coun- ty and here he has dwelt since. He is so well
pleased with this section, that he determines to remain here the balance of his life. Four chil- dren have come to bless this household : Arthur E., married to Grace Stover and now living near Earl; Harry F., married to Nellie Swank and in partnership with his father; Annie B., wife of Frank Lambrith, of Plaza, Washing- ton; and Lela A., wife of Barney Dixon, of Downs. Washington. Arthur is a member of the I. O. O. F. and Harry of the K. P.
THOMAS J. CARDWELL, a farmer re- siding two miles south of Harrington, was born in Colusa county, California. December 29, 1860. His parents were George W. Cardwell, a native of Kentucky, who was reared in Mis- souri ; and Rebecca (Stone) Cardwell, also a native of Kentucky. They started for Cali- fornia in the spring of 1860, going by way of New York and the Panama route. Upon ar- rival they settled in Colusa county, where the father died in 1880, being then in his fiftieth year. The mother is now living at Bonners Ferry, Idaho, in her seventy-fourth year. The brothers and sisters of Mr. Cardwell are George, Alexander, Charles T., and Mrs. Min- nie L. Miller, who resides at Bonners Ferry.
Mr. Cardwell grew to manhood in Colusa county, California, and in 1885 he started north with a team and wagon, reaching Roseburg, Oregon, where he spent the winter. The fol- lowing spring he came to Lincoln county and took a pre-emption near where he now lives. During the hard times of 1893-94 he lost his pre-emption but he continued to farm, and in 1900 he purchased his present home. He has three hundred and twenty acres of land all un- der cultivation lying on a county road and con- venient to market. His improvements are of the most modern type, consisting in part of a house, large barn, windmill, and an orchard of five acres.
On March 12. 1893. occurred the marriage of Mr. Cardwell to Lessie C. Curl, a native of Carroll county. Missouri, and daughter of John J. and Mary E. (Seek ) Curl, the father a native of Carroll county, Missouri, and the mother of Ray county, of the same state. The brothers and sisters of Mrs. Cardwell are, Mrs. Jessie Rainey. Napoleon B .. John F., and Ona L. The parents are now living in Harrington, to which town they came in 1890.
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HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
Mr. Cardwell is a member of Harrington lodge No. 160, I. O. O. F., and also the en- campment of Harrington. Mrs. Cardwell is a inember of the Rebekah lodge. Both Mr. and Mrs. Cardwell are members of the Christian church.
To Mr. and Mrs. Cardwell have been born three children, Mary R., Maggie L., and George J.
CHARLES G. GRIFFITH resides about two miles northwest from Mohler upon a choice estate of one half section of wheat land. He has his farm well improved and in a high state of cultivation which bespeaks the manner of man. Mr. Griffith is one of the first settlers in this section and has wrought with wisdom and energy here since the days of 1883. Com- ing to the county without means, he has had to endure all the deprivations and hardships of the earlier days which was the lot of the dough- ty and brave pioneers. It is pleasant to see these worthy people now enjoying the fruits of their labors and leaders in the communities where they first turned the sod and wrested from nature's wilds the land that is now the boast of Washington.
Charles G. Griffith was born in Randolph county, Missouri, on November 4, 1860, the son of L. B. and Frances R. (Hunter) Grif- fith. The mother is now dwelling with a daughter in Kirkwood, Missouri. The father. served in the Civil War, being second lieuten- ant of the State Militia. He came to Lincoln county in 1895 and remained with our subject until his death in 1902, being then aged sev- enty-one. He and his wife were both born in Pennsylvania. The children of this venerable couple are named as follows; William W., a graduate of the Kirksville normal school, and now principal of the high school in Ferguson, Missouri: Frank L., a practicing physician in Austin, Texas: Charles, the immediate subject of this article: Mary E., also a graduate of the Kirksville normal and now teaching in Kirk- wood, Missouri. Our subject was well edu- cated, receiving a diploma from the Kirksville normal and then spent some time in teaching. In the fall of 1879, he made a trip to Colusa county. California, and in the spring of 1883 he came thence to Washington, selecting a homestead where he now lives. Being without
means, he had a hard struggle, but overcame them all and is now in good circumstances. A good residence, commodious barn, other out- buildings and plenty of stock and implements are in evidence and the farm is a valuable prop- erty.
Mr. Griffith has always been a Republican until the time when the Populist wave swept the country. Then he suffered that party to put his name on the ticket for treasurer of the county and he was promptly elected. A two years' term was faithfully served and then he retired from politics, returning again to his first love, the old Republican party. Mr. Griffith is a well informed man both in political questions and on the affairs of the day and is progressive and public spirited.
On August 6, 1893, Mr. Griffith married Miss Mary E. Olson, a native of Sweden. Her parents are N. G. and Alma, who were pioneers to this county. The mother is still living here but the father died in 1899. He had been a sea captain for many years before coming to this country. To Mr. and Mrs. Griffith four children have been born, Alma Mary, Charles Chester, Gus Alvin and Frances Eleanor.
WILLIAM P. HILL, who is now retired from the more active duties of life, dwells in Harrington, Washington, and is one of the leading citizens of that prosperous little city. He was born in Athens county, Ohio,on Feb- ruary 18, 1855, the son of Lucius and Deborah T. (Car) Hill. The father is deceased, but the mother still lives in Spokane, being in her eighty-seventh year. When a child, our sub- ject was taken to Davis county, Iowa, where he was educated and grew to manhood. He was reared on a farm and when time for independ- ent action in life came, he chose that as his oc- cupation. He remained in Davis county until 1884, when he determined to personally inves- tigate the west and see if the opportunities were as great as had been shown. Accordingly, in March of that year, he landed in Dayton, Washington, and soon was engaged in gen- eral work for wages. He had arrived without means and for two years he wrought, gaining sufficient capital to justify a start for himself in farming. In the spring of 1886, Mr. Hill came to the Big Bend country and after due
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HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
search chose the place where his main farm is now located, six miles west from Harrington, and settled to open a farm in the midst of the wilds. He took a homestead and for the first years he can tell from good hard experience what it means to open a farm in a new country and without means. He was forced, like many more of the brave and hardy pioneers, to go to the Palouse country and the Walla Walla wheat fields to earn money for the necessities of life. But he knew no such word as fail, and so he labored patiently and perseveringly along un- til the land was opened to produce crops and then he had the satisfaction of being able to dispose his whole time and labor on the farm. As the years went by, Mr. Hill was prosperous owing to his careful and wise industry and he purchased land from time to time until he has now about one and one half sections in the home farm place. It is all in a high state of cultivation and produces abundant crops of the cereals. The outbuildings are commodious and substantial while the residence is one of the handsome and valuable ones of the country. It is a ten room structure of modern architectural design, with all improvements and conveniences of the day, as bath, water, and so forth. A fine well with windmill, pump and tank is at hand and supplies abundance of pure water for all purposes. In the fall of 1903, Mr. Hill's con- tinued success warranted his retirement from active labors and so he removed with his fam- ily to Harrington, where he had provided a comfortable residence. He also has other prop- erty in this town and nine hundred and sixty acres of choice timber in Oregon. He also is interested in mines and has some promising properties in the Slocan country, British Col- umbia.
On June 25, 1876, in Davis county, Iowa, Mr. Hill married Miss Elsie A. Lynch, a native of Van Buren county, Iowa. Her parents were John and Caroline ( Rolin) Lynch, and they now dwell in Keokuk county, Iowa. The fa- ther is a veteran of the Rebellion, having served three years. To Mr. and Mrs. Hill, three children have been born: Wallace E., married to Parmelia Shipley and now farming near Harrington ; John R., farming near Harring- ton ; and Myrtle E., wife of George Danford, a farmer in the vicinity of Harrington. Mr. Hill is a member of the A. F. & A. M., and is the present master of the Harrington lodge.
He is a man of good ability, as his success testi- fies and has won hosts of friends. Mr. and Mrs. Hill, who have labored faithfully together for so long, enduring all the hardships and try- ing times of frontier life, are now justly entitled to enjoy the competence which they have so wisely provided and it is pleasant to see the once raw prairie now supporting the retire- ment of these who brought it into subjection.
Since the above was written, Mr. Hill has been interested in banking, and is now the vice president of the Harrington State Bank. The community is to be congratulated that a man of his conservativeness, yet sound financial abil- ity, is in this financial institution, as he is a man who has the confidence of his fellow's and has shown his ability.
THOMAS E. TALKINGTON resides just east from Harrington and was born on January 9, 1864, in Sebastian county, Arkan- sas. His parents were Joseph and Rebecca A. ( Kirk) Talkington. Thomas E. was reared on the old homestead and received his educa- tion from the common schools adjacent. At the age of eighteen, he began to work for him- self. taking up the business of buying and sell- ing stock. This was followed until the spring of 1888, when he came west to Los Angeles, California. For a time he wrought for wages and then journeyed on to Lincoln county, Washington. He began work by the month here for a while then went into partnership with his father in handling school land. They raised some grain and stock and continued for several years. In 1893, he and his brothers lost their entire crop, owing to the wet weather. The following year, they raised eleven thousand bushels of number one wheat and sold the whole amount at an average of eighteen cents per bushel. Owing to the failure of the year pre- vious to this calamity, they were nearly broken up in business and our subject was over two thousand dollars in debt personally. However, he had demonstrated one thing to his own satis- faction and that was that the Big Bend coun- try would produce wheat. Knowing that, he remained in the country and accordingly went to work again. In 1896, he secured good crops again and the following year he did as well. In 1898, he purchased a half section of land and paid for the same with two crops, besides
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HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
buying much machinery and doing other things. Later, he sold that farm and bought two hun- dred and fifty-three acres where he now lives. The same is improved in first class shape. A fine ten room, two story residence is his home and it is supplied with all the conveniences, as bath, water piped into the house, heating ap- pliances and so forth. Plenty of barns, out- buildings and all improvements needed are found, and all together it is one of the finest places and most pleasantly located in this part of the county. He has devoted considerable attention to raising mules and horses and has fine stock at the present time. The farm is well equipped with machinery in addition to all the smaller pieces needed and Mr. Talkington owns a fine combined harvester which takes the stand- ing grain and delivers it in sacks ready for market.
On Christmas, in 1894, occurred the mar- riage of Mr. Talkington and Miss Bell Long, natives of Sebastian county, Arkansas. They were schoolmates together in the east. The parents of Mrs. Talkington are George W. and Jenette D., natives of Tennessee and Arkansas, respectively. The father was an early pioneer of Arkansas and came to California in the palmy days of placer mining. After seventeen years there, he returned to Arkansas and later journeyed west to where Moscow is now lo- cated in Lincoln county. There he took a homestead and remained until his death in Au- gust, 1903. The mother, is still living on the old homestead. To Mr. and Mrs. Talkington, five children have been born, Wayne, Lloyd, Opal, Delbert and Lois.
Our subject is a member of the I. O. O. F. and the Encampment. He is also a member of the pioneers' association.
When Mr. Talkington came to this country, he was practically without means and although he met many reverses here, he is now one of the wealthy citizens of Lincoln county and his entire property has been gained by virtue of his ability and industry.
LUTHER P. TURNER is a farmer re- siding in Harrington. He is a native of Meigs county, Tennessee, born on October 16, 1862, the son of Robert C. and Abigail (Williams) Turner. The father, who was a native of Vir- ginia, was a sergeant in the Union army dur-
ing the Civil War and died while in service. The mother, who is now sixty-five years of age, makes her home with the subject of our sketch, who is her only offspring. Luther P. Turner was reared by his mother on a farm in his na- tive state, and on January 27, 1887, was mar- ried to Jane Ivester, born in Polk county, Ten- nessee. Mrs. Turner was the daughter of Ja- cob and Linda (Morgan) Ivester, the former now a resident of Spokane and the latter de- ceased.
In the spring of 1888 Mr. Turner brought his family to Lincoln county and purchased four hundred and eighty acres of unimproved railroad land. He worked out to some extent for a few years in order to acquire means with which to improve his land, as after making a small payment on the place his fund of money was exhausted. He had a hard struggle to make ends meet until 1897, when he harvested a large crop and sold it to advantage, since which time he has made a great success of his business. He now owns four thousand acres of choice land, all under cultivation and im- proved in the most modern and complete style, lying five miles southwest from Harrington. He has a great amount of stock and farm ma- chinery, including a large steam threshing out- fit. In the fall of 1902 he removed to town. where he has a large twelve-room modern house.
Mr. and Mrs. Turner have six children, whose names are Maud E .. Lelia, Attia, Ruth. Lois and Ethia.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Turner are members of the Baptist church, and are of marked promin- ence in the church and business affairs of Har- rington.
JOSEPH LIGHTFOOT BALL, having retired from farming, is a business man resid- ing in Harrington. Washington, and one of the leading citizens of Lincoln county. Born De- cember 26, 1844, in Jefferson county, Ohio, he was the son of Colonel Joseph L. Ball, a prom- inent military man, native to Virginia. The father was an early settler of Jefferson county. Ohio, and in young manhood was commis- sioned colonel of State Militia, which commis- sion he held up to the time of the outbreak of the Civil War, but was of too great age to go to the front with his command. He died in
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HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
the county of his adoption, aged seventy-five years, in 1872. For eighteen years during his residence in Ohio he held the position of justice of the peace. Our subject's mother was Mary (Cameron) Ball, also a native Virginian, and died many years ago. It may be of interest here to state that the Ball family is descended from the family of the mother of George Washington.
Mr. Ball has had five brothers and two sis- ters, as follows; John C., an attorney, who died in California during the spring of 1903 : James, in Jefferson county, Ohio; Castello, also an at- torney and deceased; Jasper F., of Jefferson county ; Byron, an attorney of Woodland, Cali- fornia : Mrs. Lucinda Cameron, of Harrington ; and Mrs. Esther Steward, deceased.
Joseph L. Ball was reared on a farm. He received a good common school education, and in the spring of 1869 came to California with the first train ever run over the Union and Central Pacific railroad. After three years spent in working at various occupations in Yolo county he engaged in farming in Colusa county, and was there married on October 14. 1882, to Mrs. Theresa (Cook ) Swan, a native of Bristol, Kendall county, Illinois.
Mrs. Ball's father, Peter Cook, was born on the Monmouth (New Jersey) battle ground, in 1818, and was a descendant from Aneka Jans, who was a granddaughter of the king of Hol- land. Aneka Jans settled at New Amsterdam, now New York in an early day. Both of Mrs. Ball's grandfathers were soldiers in the Revo- lutionary War. Her great-grandfathers' names were Amor Cook and Isaac Morris, the latter a relative of Robert Morris, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Mrs. Ball's mother was Theresa (Haggerty) Cook, also a native of Monmouth, and died in Olympia, Washington, in 1894, aged seventy-seven. after having lived with her husband fifty-seven years. Mrs. Cook's mother was Susan Howland. the wife of Asher Haggerty, and lived to be seven- ty-four years of age. Mrs. Mary Taylor. the mother of A. Haggerty, died near Monmouth, New Jersey, aged ninety-four. Mrs. Ball's father crossed the plains in 1850, returned, and brought his family across in a wagon in 1861. to Carson City. Nevada, and came from that city to Eldorado, California. The father, ar- rived at Chicago in 1837. located on Fox river. fifty miles west of where Chicago now stands,
and it was for his family that Cook county, Illinois, was named. He came to Washington first in 1867, locating at Tacoma. In 1894 he came to Lincoln county and is now living with the subject of this sketch.
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