USA > Washington > Douglas County > An illustrated history of the Big Bend country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams, and Franklin counties, state of Washington, pt 2 > Part 59
USA > Washington > Adams County > An illustrated history of the Big Bend country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams, and Franklin counties, state of Washington, pt 2 > Part 59
USA > Washington > Franklin County > An illustrated history of the Big Bend country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams, and Franklin counties, state of Washington, pt 2 > Part 59
USA > Washington > Lincoln County > An illustrated history of the Big Bend country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams, and Franklin counties, state of Washington, pt 2 > Part 59
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Mr. Olson's parents are John N. and Sarah M. (Nelson) Olson, natives of Sweden, who came to America in 1868, and settled in Iowa, where they remained until coming to Ritzville. After arriving here they lived two years in town, then removed to their present home which the father took as a. timber culture. In 1884 he purchased one section of adjoining land, since which time he has erected first class buildings,-house and barn-and has all his land well improved and surrounded by fence.
Our subject is a member of a family of four children, Carl M., Abner A., and John E. L., besides himself, all of whom are living with their parents.
The senior Mr. Olson is liberal in his polii- ical views, and for two years creditably held the office of county commissoiner of Adams county.
FRED SANDBRINK. Ritzville, Wash- ington, is a stone mason by trade, but at present is engaged in farming three miles north of the city just named. Born. January 18, 1854, at Hanover, Germany, he was the son of Fred and Mary (Boughman) Sandbrink, natives of the same country as himself, where they have al- ways been and still live. Our subject was the third in point of age of a family of six, who, besides himself, are: Clara, Henry, Lena, Mary and Katie.
Mr. Sandbrink received his early education in Hustatte, Buer Kalis Molle, province of Hanover, and at the age of fourteen he left school to engage in farm work, which he fol- lowed four years. He then learned the stone mason's trade and followed it two years. He .
also served two years in the imperial army. He then re-engaged in working at his trade until 1880, when he came to America and located in Nebraska. Here he lived six years, farming and plying his trade, then came to Ritzville and filed on a homestead and a timber culture and also purchased a quarter section of railroad land sixteen miles west of Ritzville. He disposed of part of his land and came to his present locality in 1898, and the following year bought four hundred and eighty acres to which he has continued to add from time to time until he now owns a section and a quarter, all fenced and well improved. He has the finest of farm buildings and improvements, and raises as high
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HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
as sixteen thousand bushels of wheat in a sea- son, besides a great quantity of other cereals.
Fred Sandbrink was married to Margaret Bierman, daughter of Christ and Mary (Vouheder) Bierman, native Germans, in 1880. Mrs. Sandbrink has two sisters and two brothers, Lena, Henry. Louisa and William.
To this union have been born five children : William, deceased; Fred, at the head of the Sandbrink Piano House, of Spokane; John, Henry and Charles, deceased.
Mr. Sandbrink is a determined and active Republican, and a member of the Lutheran church.
He is one of the highly respected and sub- stantial farmers of Adams county.
THOMAS C. MARTIN, a prominent merchant of Washtucna, Washington, was born in Pittsfield, Illinois, April 30, 1873, the son of Oliver and Elizabeth ( Stonbinger) Mar- tin, natives of Illinois. In 1852, the father crossed the plains to California, and mined three years, then came to Portland. He served
seven months in a volunteer company during the Indian war of about that time, and in the spring of 1856 he, with his brother T. W. Mar- tin, whom he always had for a companion, crossed the Snake river to the Palouse, where their supply of provisions became exhausted and they were obliged to subsist nine days on nothing but horse flesh. Later Mr. Martin went to Texas, and from there to Illinois, Pike county, enlisted in the Civil war and served . in the Ninety-ninth Volunteer Infantry, Com- pany A, for four years. This service under- mined his health so that he died in 1875. His wife died ten days previously. They were par- ents of eight children, George, Effie, Mike, Henry, Mary, Charles, T. C., and Oliver.
Our subject, who it will be noted, was two years of age at the time of his parents' death, was reared by his uncle, T. W. Martin, his father's partner. The boy attended school in Illinois and at the age of ten he came with his uncle to Dayton, Washington, remained there six months, then came to Adams county where they were among the first settlers. The uncle filed on a homestead and a timber culture near Ritzville, where he still lives, renting his land to others. Thomas C. went to school in the
country until 1892 when he entered Whitman college, Walla Walla, and at the age of twenty- one established the first store in Washticna. The business was a small one at first but rap- idly grew and prospered until 1901, when Mr. Martin sold out. He took a trip to California, and upon his return he purchased two sections of land which he now owns.
In 1896 occurred the marriage of Thomas C. Martin to Claudia V. Cooper, daughter of John and Ella S. (Hunsaker) Cooper, the former a native of England and the latter of Missouri. John Cooper came to California from the land of his nativity in 1855, about which time Ella S. Hunsaker also arrived in that state, she having crossed the plains with her parents. They came to Washington in 1881, since which time Mr. Cooper has been engaged with the O. R. & N., and the W. & C. railroads most of his time as a telegraph oper- ator. He is now living at Kahlotus, Franklin county. Mr. and Mrs. Cooper are the parents of seven children.
Politically, our subject is a Democrat, and for four years he held the position of post- master at Washtucna.
ERNEST J. BARDWELL is a well-to- do farmer residing one mile south and the same distance east of the post office of Griffith, Adams county, Washiington. Born in Kasota, Lesueur county, Minnesota, September II, 1874, he is a son of Chester R. and Mary E. (Van Vleet) Bardwell, the former a native of Pennsylvania, born in 1844, and the latter born in Illinois in 1848. The father was a member of the Sixth Minnesota Infantry during the Civil war, served two years and was mustered out of service at Fort Snelling, August 10, 1865. He was under the command of General A. J. Smith of the Sixteenth Corps, as was also a number of relatives of his, one of whom was killed in battle and another wounded. After the war Chester Bardwell lived in Wisconsin and Minnesota until coming to Washington in 1886. After coming here he lived three years in Ritzville, then removed to the home of our subject where he is now living. Besides the subject of this sketch, Mr. and Mrs. Bardwell have four children, Mrs. Rhoda M. Egbers, Mrs. Eunice L. Myers, Mrs. Blanche Lavender, and Alpheus A.
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HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
Ernest J. Bardwell received his early schooling in the country schools of his native county, and after coming to this state with his parents he attended the Ritzville schools, and spent a year in Spokane business college, thus receiving a fair working education. Until he became twenty-two years of age Mr. Bardwell lived with his parents, since which time he has been farming for himself. He started out by purchasing a half section of land in 1898, which with the half section of his father he had pre- viously rented, made him a whole section of land which he farmed. In 1902 he added an- other section to his holdings. He is now com- fortably situated, engaged in the stock raising business in connection with his farming. He also has a small but productive orchard.
Ernest J. Bardwell was married to Celia C. Davis, daughter of T. J. Davis, in 1902.
In political matters Mr. Bardwell is a stanch and active member of the Republican party. Mrs. Bardwell is a devout Christian, and wor- ships in the Christian church. On November 24. 1903, a daughter, Eva G., was born to Mr. and Mrs. Bardwell, and she is an only child.
JAMES J. ENGLISH, a farmer residing four and one-half miles north of Ritzville, was born in Ontario, Canada, April 6, 1878, the son of Coleman and Catherine (Johnston ) En- glish, natives, respectively, of Canada and Ire- land. Besides the subject of our sketch, Mr. and Mrs. English were parents of two children, Bessie and Roy ; besides whom, our subject has two half brothers and one half sister, Edward, Lowry and Jennie Hanna.
James J. English received his early school training in his native country, and, his half- sister bringing him to Ritzville when a lad of thirteen, he continued his studies in the grammar school of this city, and at the age of nineteen he was graduated from the ninth grade of school. He then left school and bought a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, and en- gaged in farming that and a half-section of leased school land.
Soon after he came to Ritzville Mr. En- glish's mother came and made her home with him and his half-sister. His father died in Canada when the subject was six years of age.
Mr. English has his land all fenced and well
improved. He has a large barn, a modern eight-room house and a fine orchard.
On June 18, 1902, occurred the marriage of J. J. English to Myrtle Starr, daughter of Ransom and Jessie ( Driver ) Starr. Her mother was the daughter of Rev. Dr. I. D. Driver, a well-known Oregon Methodist minister. Both of Mrs. English's parents are living in Washington. They have been parents of seven children, as follows, Paul D., Myrtle N., Lottie Lee, Merle R., Horace L., Frank J., and Rob- ert E. T.
Mr. and Mrs. English are members of the Methodist Episcopal church; and Mr. English is actively affiliated with the Republican party. Mr. and Mrs. English have one child, Paul C., born September 30, 1904.
JARED M. HARRIS, director of the King Mercantile Company at Ritzville, was born in Allegany county, New York, November 21, 1842. His father was Anthony Harris, a Pennsylvania farmer of Pennsylvania birth, whose life was spent in the states of Pennsyl- vania, New York, Illinois and Wisconsin, and whose death occurred February 26, 1876, aged sixty-three. Mr. Harris' mother was Irene (Anderson) Harris, born in Pennsylvania and now living in Pierce county, Wisconsin, aged eighty-three. Her father was a soldier in the war of 1812, and came of one of the oldest American families.
Jared M. Harris was reared principally in Illinois and Wisconsin, was educated in the district schools, and upon the outbreak of the Rebellion he enlisted with Company A, Third Wisconsin Volunteers, with which company he served three years and a half. On October 16, 1861, at the battle of Boliver Heights, he was shot through the right hand. He was engaged in many of the desperately fought battles of the war, including Antietam, Gettysburg, Chan- cellorsville and Lookout Mountain. During the time of his service he studied diligently, and improved his education to a marked extent. After the war he returned to his father's farm in Wisconsin, where he remained until 1865, thien removed to Autogama county, remained there four years when he migrated to South Dakota. He remained here eight years, dur- ing which time he made final proof on a home-
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HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
stead, when he sold out, mainly on account of the grasshoppers, and came to Walla Walla. He arrived at Walla Walla in 1877, and first engaged in freighting. In the meantime he filed a timber culture adjoining the townsite of Ritzville, and removed his family upon his newly acquired land. In 1887 he sold the place to J. H. Spanjer, bought a half section of railroad land and leased a section of school land, cultivated this until 1890 when he re- moved to town, where he engaged in the livery business which he subsequently sold to his sons, sketches of whose lives appear elsewhere in this history. Mr. Harris then engaged in the implement business with J. M. Comparet for two years, when the firm purchased the interest of Ortho Dorman in the Dorman, Theil & King implement company, which they encor- porated under the name as given in the initial sentence of this sketch. Mr. Harris is travel- ing for his house the greater portion of his time.
Mr. Harris has two brothers and three sisters : Johnson, Almond, Antoinette, wife of Almond Herrick, Ella, wife of Albert Man- well, and Viola, wife of Frank Sanford. Mr. Harris was married in Wisconsin, June 25, 1865, to Augusta M. York, a native of Wis- consin, daughter of Frank and Eliza D. (Cottrell) York, both born in New York state, the mother being a member of the widely. known Cottrell family.
Mrs. Harris has two brothers: Albert J., and William York, of Walla Walla and Ore- gon, respectively, and two sisters; Addie, wife of D. H. Hawn, probate judge at Canton, South Dakota, and Mary, wife of James Gould, of Confidence postoffice, Tuolumne county, California.
To Mr. and Mrs. Harris have been born six children : Jesse and Claude, sketches of whose lives appear elsewhere in this volume: Clifford, a student living at home: Nora, wife of Samuel Edwards, a clerk with the Myers- Shepley company, Ritzville: Laura, wife of J. M. Comparet, manager of the King Mer- cantile Company ; and Nettie, wife of D. W. Pettijohn, of Pettijohn & Swenson, proprietors of the Ritsville Times.
Mr. Harris is an active and prominent fra- ternity man, being a member of the Prairie Queen lodge, K. of P., the K. O. T. M. and
the W. B. Hazen post, G. A. R., of which he has been commander for six years.
Mrs. Harris is an active member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
In politics, Mr. Harris is identified as a staunch member of the Republican party, though he is not an especially active party worker.
WILLIAM McKAY, a land owner and retired railroad man at Ritzville, was born in Scotland, June 22, 1848, and the following year was brought by his parents to Pennsylva- nia, and thence to Minnesota, where the prin- cipal part of his boyhood and young manhood was spent. Reared on a farm and educated in the graded schools of Winona, Minnesota, he, at the age of twenty-one, removed to South Dakota, where he remained ten years engaged in farming on a homestead. In 1878 he came to Walla Walla, remained one year, then came to Adams county and built a home on the first deeded lot in Ritzville, which lot was presented to him by General Sprague. He conducted a hotel here for eighteen months, when his wife died and he sold his business and engaged as section foreman for the Northern Pacific rail- road. He remained in the employ of this com- pany for twenty years as section foreman and one year engaged in other work, making in all twenty-one years with one company. Dur- ing this time he also dealt heavily in land.
Mr. Mckay was married at Canton, South Dakota, to Sarah E. Martin, a native of Wis- consin, daughter of Isaac N. and Elizabeth Martin. Mr. Martin was born in Ohio, a pioneer in Wisconsin and Dakota, and died in 1902.
On July 18, 1893, at Ritzville, Mr. McKay was married a second time his wife being Pa- tience Tull, born in Indiana. Her father was a Civil War soldier, and died from wounds re- ceived in battle.
William McKay's father, whose Christian name he bears, also was born in Scotland. He settled in 1849 in Crawford county, Pennsyl- vania, removed five years later to Winona county, Minnesota, and came to Washington in 1879. He filed on land here, and is now liv- ing with his daughter, Mrs. J. G. Bennett, in Ritzville. Our subject's other parent was in
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HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
maiden life, Margaret Johnson, born and reared in Scotland, came to America with her husband and died at Winona, Minnesota. Mr. Mckay has no full brothers living, but has one sister, Christina, widow of the late James G. Bennett, a Ritzville pioneer, mentioned else- where in this work.
Mr. Mckay is a member of the Maccabees, and is a Republican in politics, though not an active party man. Both he and Mrs. McKay are members of the Congregational church. Mr. McKay has the distinction of building the first house in Ritzville, the lumber for which came from Medical Lake, and the shingles from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. In those days most all supplies were hauled by wagon from Walla Walla and Colfax.
FRED H. RICHARDSON. One of the enterprising and promising young business men of Ritzville, Washington, is Fred H. Richard- son, a grain buyer in the employ of the Tacoma Warehouse and Elevator Company. Mr. Rich- ardson was born in Steuben county, Indiana, June 30, 1875, but might almost be classed as one of the "native sons," since Ritzville has been his home since his twelfth year of age. He passed through the grammar school here, after which he took a commercial course in the Wilson Business college of Seattle which gave him a thorough education as a bookkeeper and man of business. After leaving school he at once engaged with his father in the grain buying business, but in 1902 the senior Rich- ardson removed to Quincy, Washington, since which time our subject has been with his pres- ent company.
Mr. Richardson is a member of Prairie Queen lodge, K. of P., of Ritzville, as well as a member and local secretary of the National Association of Book-Keepers and Accountants. He belongs also to Wheatland lodge, No. 95, Ritzville, I. O. G. T., and is a Democrat, though not an active man in his party.
Fred H. Richardson is the only son of Da- vid and Viola (Hoffman) Richardson, both now living at Quincy, Douglas county. The father was born in Michigan and the mother in the state of New York. David Richardson is a land owner, and is proprietor of the townsite of Quincy.
Our subject has one sister, Blanche, wife of Clarence L. Holcomb, prosecuting attorney of Adams county.
Fred H. Richardson is a man of exemplary habits, straight-forward and honorable char- acteristics and unquestioned integrity. He has friends without number, and is regarded as be- ing a young man of such general qualifications as to insure him future success in the social and business world.
CLARENCE L. HOLCOMB, prosecut- ing attorney of Adams county, is a native of Fort Branch, Indiana, born October 15, 1871. He is the son of Silas M. and Mary A. ( Hop- kins) Holcomb, a brief history of whose fami- lies is incorporated with the sketch of our sub- ject's brother, Oscar R. Holcomb, to be found elsewhere, as is also the names of Mr. Hol- comb's brothers and sisters.
Mr. Holcomb's education was attained in the graded and high schools of his native city, he having been graduated from the latter in- stitution in 1888, and later at the Indianapolis University, from the law department of which he was graduated in 1895. After his gradu- ation from the high school he entered news- paper work, and for two years was a member of the editorial staff of the Evansville Courier. He read law and was admitted to the bar at Evansville in 1893,-two years prior to his leaving the Indianapolis school .. Immediately after graduating he located and entered prac- tice at Petersburg, Indiana, leaving there for Ritzville in 1899. In the meantime he served one term as county attorney of Pike county, Indiana, and was re-elected to that office in 1898, still being its incumbent when he came to Ritzville on a vacation. He came here to visit his brother, and, being so pleased with the future outlook of the Big Bend, he decided to remain, so sent in his resignation as county attorney of Pike county, and before the summer was over was acting as city attorney of Ritzville, an office he has held continuously ever since. In 1900 he was elected prosecuting attorney of Adams county, and was re-elected in 1902, running ahead of his ticket at each election, and at the last election he ran far beyond any other can- didate except J. C. Shorno, who was elected
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HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
sheriff. Mr. Holcomb has always been an act- ive and aggressive Democrat, and did hard work for his party even before he was entitled to vote, and as an official he has conducted hin- self in a manner that reflects credit both upon himself and the party that placed him in his position.
On April 4, 1900, occurred the marriage of C. L. Holcomb to Blanche Richardson, a na- tive of Kansas, the marriage taking place in Ritzville. Mrs. Holcomb is a daughter of David and Viola (Hoffman) Richardson, the former a native of Indiana and the latter of New York state. They are now living at Quincy, Douglas county, Washington, where Mr. Richardson is an extensive land and town- site proprietor. Mrs. Holcomb has one brother, Fred, agent of the Tacoma Warehouse & Ele- vator Company, Ritzville. The sole issue of the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Holcomb is a little girl, Mary Clarice. Mr. Holcomb is a member of Prairie Queen lodge, number thirty- six, K. of P., of which he is past C. C., and also member of the grand lodge.
WILLIAM BIERMANN is one of the representative German farmers of Adams coun- ty and resides two miles southeast of Ritz- ville. He owns two sections of agricultural and pasture land all of which is well improved with good buildings, plenty of fences and abun- dance of machinery. His residence is a modern eleven room edifice costing over five thousand dollars and is one of the best farm houses in Adams county. His orchard is a splendid one and everything about the place indicates a man of ability and thrift.
William Biermann was born in Hanover, Germany, December 8, 1862, and attended the common schools there until fourteen years of age when he came to the United States and lo- cated in Nebraska. There he followed farming until 1885, when he came on to Walla Walla whence later, he journeyed to the vicinity of Ritzville and took a homestead and timber. cul- ture. These claims he sold in 1895 and pur- chased a fine estate where he now resides.
At Walla Walla on August 8, 1884, occur- red the marriage of Mr. Biermann to Miss Au- gusta (Reitz) Koeplin, also a native of Ger- many. To this union ten children have been
born, Carl, Willie, Henry, Minnie, Lena, Rich- ard, Eddie, Clara, Elsie and an infant unnamed.
Mr. Biermann has two sisters, Mrs. M. Sandbrink and Mrs. Louise Signan residing near Ritzville; Mrs. Biermann has two sisters and one brother, Mrs. Minnie Wilsind, Amelia Rushmere, both near Ritzville and Carl Koep- lin, a sketch of whose life appears in another portion of this history. Mr. Biermann is one of the substantial agriculturists of Adams coun- ty and takes a marked interest in everything for its upbuilding. He is a Republican, is greatly interested in educational and general affairs and is known as a progressive and good man. He and his wife are members of the German Lutheran church.
JAMES F. FLETCHER, who resides at Fletcher postoffice is one of the leading agri- culturalists of that portion of Adams county, was born on February 3. 1849, eight miles from Baltimore, Maryland, his parents being Samuel and Mary Furniss Fletcher. The father was engaged in milling until 1861, when he turned his attention to farming, having mi- grated to Missouri in 1853. His death occurred in Clark county, Missouri, in 1881, his wife having passed away in 1876. He was of Scotch-Irish ancestry and the mother de- scended from English lineage. Our subject re- ceived his education in the common schools of Missouri and started in life for himself on the old home, being in partnership with his brothers. This continued until he was thirty-two years of age. In June, 1884, he came to Washington and located a pre-emption where he now lives, four miles northwest from Fletcher. Later, he filed on a homestead on the same land and has purchased since until he has eight hundred acres. It is all fertile and good agricultural land and is handled in a becoming manner. All improve- ments that are needed are in evidence and Mr. Fletcher is counted one of the thrifty and sub- stantial men of this portion of the county.
On March 12, 1882, Mr. Fletcher was mar- ried to Miss Armita McKee. Her father, Captain William McKee, a native of Indiana married Elizabeth Duncan, who was born in Kentucky. He was captain of the Seventh Missouri Cavalry and was killed on the battle-
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HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
field December 8, 1862. The G. A. R. of Clark county, Missouri, is named William McKee post in his honor. Mr. and Mrs. Flet- cher are the parents of three children, William C., born June 26, 1885, now a student in the Ritzville high school. He has also attended the Agricultural College at Pullman; Ottis S., born December 24, 1888, also attending the Ritzville high school; Nettie May, born April 21, 1893, at school. Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher know by experience the pioneer life and the hardships connected with the same but being possessed of strength and enterprise they have weathered all those trying times and mani- fested meanwhile an uprightness and stability that commend them to all worthy people. Dur- ing the twenty years of Mr. Fletcher's resi- dence here, he has been justice of the peace eighteen years. He or his wife has been di- rector for fifteen years. They are very enthus- iastic laborers for educational' advancement and in fact for everything that tends to build up the country and develop it. They are worthy and substantial people and always keep fully abreast of the times. Politically, Mr. Fletcher is a Democrat while in fraternal re- lations, he is affiliated with the I. O. O. F. He is a member of the Baptist church and Mrs. Fletcher is an earnest worker in the Christian denomination. Our subject has the following named brothers and sisters, Jane Shuler, de- ceased; Malissa Gammon, at Pomeroy, Wash- ington ; Amanda Thompson, at Pomeroy; Ann Anderson, Leavenworth, Kansas; Pheby Jef- frey in California; Ella Best, Lind, Washing- ton ; John T., in Clark county, Missouri ; James, who died in a military prison, in 1862; Benja- min P., Bluff City, Kansas. Mr. Fletcher has three brothers and two sisters and one half- brother, who are named as follows: Edward, William C., John, Mary and Nettie, deceased, Colwell Smith, all of Clark county, Missouri.
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