An illustrated history of the state of Washington, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 136

Author: Hines, Harvey K., 1828-1902
Publication date: 1893
Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis publishing company
Number of Pages: 1056

USA > Washington > An illustrated history of the state of Washington, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens > Part 136

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Mr. Meade married Miss Lonisa F. Kinkade, a danghter of W. M. Kinkade, a farmer. The Kinkades are of Scotch descent. Mr. and Mrs. Meade have two children.

Mr. Meade is a member of the Masonic fra- ternity, is an honorable and upright man, and has the respect and esteem of all who know him.

J OHN VALENTINE MEEKER, a prom- inent citizen of Puyallup county, is a na- tive of Butler county, Ohio, and was born July 13, 1824, a mile and a half west of Mon- roe. llis parents were Jacob R. and Phoebe S. (Baker) Meeker. The Meeker family is an old one, flie American progenitor having arrived at Boston in 1637, from Essex, England, probably of Scotch ancestry. It was at Boston that three brothers, of whom John, the direct ancestor of our subject, was one, were born. In 1638 the family removed to Hartford, and remained there until 1665, when John and Joseph went to Elizabeth, New Jersey, settling there as pion- eers. From this family the subject of this sketch is of the tenth generation. Mr. Meeker's father, born near Elizabeth, was reared in Ithaca, New York, and when a young man he came to Ohio, and was married in Butler county, that State, to a lady who was born in Maryland, of New Jersey parents, who were from the same neighborhood as the Meekers. Our subject's

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great-grandfather was of the fourth or fifth generation from the foundation of the family in New England. In the latter part of 1837 Jacob R. Meeker moved with his family to Indiana, and four years afterward to Indian- apolis, where John V. completed his education at the county seminary.

He early learned from his father the trade of miller, and followed it until he was twenty years of age, and then tanght school for ten years. Ile came to the coast in the winter of 1859, leaving New York about the 15th of October, in the North Star for Panama. On the way, near the Bahama islands, the vessel ran upon a rock, and directly after getting off of that it ran upon a reef at French Key, and was confined there a week. A bad leak was caused by these accidents. On the Pacific side Mr. Meeker sailed in the steamer Cortez, and reached San Francisco within eighteen day a quick trip. A few day afterward he sailed for Washington, and reached Steilacoom December 10. During the next year, 1860, he located a claim in Puyallup valley, precisely where the town now stands. Ilere he lived and taught school until 1870.

Mr. Meeker was one of the first to introduce the hop industry into this section of the State, carrying the roots upon his back from Steila- coom, where he had obtained them of a small brewer named Wood, to whom they had been sent from abroad. He sold his first erop to this brewer. The place where he planted this crop is now called Sumner.

January 14, 1849, Mr. Meeker married Miss Mary Jane Pence, who was born near German- town, Butler county, Ohio, on the road between that place and Middletown. She is a daughter of Joseph and Sarah (Enoch) Pence. Iler father was born in Viginia, of Virginian parents who were of German ancestry, and her mother was born in Butler county, Ohio, of Irish ancestry, her mother's maiden name being Holmes. When Mrs. Meeker was three years of age her parents removed to a point four miles west of Indianapolis, where her marriage took place. Her parents- died in Indiana. Mr. Meeker's father died in 1869, and his mother died on the plains in 1854, while coming to the coast.

Mr. and Mrs. Meeker have reared five chil- dren, one of whom, Lucy J., married George Marshall, October 7. 1861, and died February 6, 1887. The living children ate: Mary F., wife of Clarence O. Bean, of Tacoma; Joseph Pence; Harriet E., wife of Edward Dana, of

Puyallup; Maggie A., now the wife of Joseph Freeman, of Puyallup; and May.

Mr. Meeker is a member of Unity Lodge, No. 18. I. O. O. F., having joined in 1853, Dayton Lodge, No. 56, at Eddyville, Iowa; also a member of Alki Encampment, No. 5, and of Canton No. 1, at Walla Walla; of Schuyler Colfax Lodge, Rebekah degree, No. 14, etc. In each of these he stand high. He has been Grand Master of the Grand Lodge, Grand Patriarch of the Grand Canton, Representative to the Grand Council, etc.

In public life Mr. Meeker has been very active. For many years he was identified with the Republican party; served eight years as County Surveyor and four years as County Superintendent of Public Instruction, then as County Commissioner for a number of years; was four years Justice of the Peace; United States Commissioner for a number of years, ap- pointed by the Supreme Court; Notary Public many years; was Deputy United States Sur- veyor for nearly twenty years, etc. He surveyed for the Government the land where Tacoma now stands, when there was nothing there but weeds and no one dreamed of a town.

D OUGLASS MONAGHAN was born at Manetton, Ohio, on the 30th day of May, 1862. Ilis parents are Charles and Barbara (Stephens) Monaghan, the former a native of Ohio, the latter of Pennsylvania. Our subject was reared and educated at his native place, but later entered the Hannibal University. At the age of sixteen he left home and went to Bowling Green, where he remained for three years, and then went to Hannibal. When twenty-one years old he re- moved to Minnesota, and followed gardening for several years, until in 1889 he came to Washington. On his arrival here he first rented what was then known as the A. D. Ross place, which had about fourteen acres in hops and thirty acres in vegetables for market- ing. After two years there he took the place where he at present resides, and devoted all of his land to fruit and hops.

Mr. Monaghan was married on July 14, 1890, to Miss Maggie Sweeney, of Minneapolis. They have one child. Robert, born on the 1st of May, 1891.

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Mr. Monaghan is a Demoerat politically, and is active in politics. He is one of Washing- ton's most progressive farmers and a man much respected in his community.

J H. STEPWALT is a native of Europe and was born in Prussia, at Dusseldorf, on the 13th of April, 1828. He was about fifteen years of age when he came to America, sailing from Bremen and landing at New York. He traveled throughout the States and finally went to San Francisco, making the journey across the plains in company of Dr. Knox. He went to British Columbia in 1858, during the Fraser river excitement. From there he went to Portland, Oregon, but remained only a short time and then came to Washington, working in Walla Walla mostly. From 1875 to 1882 he worked in Wallowa valley and in the latter year bought 300 acres of land, thirty of which he has cleared.

Mr. Stepwalt is a member of the Flatwood Grange, No. 60, and is independent politically.

Ilis experience in the early days of the West was a thrilling one. He has had numerous en- gagements with the Indians, and, while pros- pecting in 1883, had a horse shot from under him. In 1866, while mining on Smith's creek, California, with a party of thirty men in camp. there were fourteen of them killed by the Indians, and he himself escaped nar- rowly, having his hat riddled with bullet holes.

Mr. Stepwalt considers himself one of the pioneers of the country and is rightly entitled to be so called. Ile looks back on the stormy experiences of his past and by the very recol- leetion is made to enjoy all the more his pres- ent comfortable old age.

J S. DOBBINS, a well-known resident of Olympia, Washington, was born near Sparta, Randolph county, Illinois, in 1830.

His parents, John and Margaret Dobbins, were natives of county Antrim. Ireland, were married there, and about 1820 emigrated from the Emerald Isle to the United States, settling in Randolph county, Illinois, among

the pioneers of that locality. There they en- gaged in agricultural pursuits, spent honorable and industrious lives, and were respected by all who knew them.

J. S. Dobbins was educated in his native county. At the age of seventeen he was ap- prenticed to the trade of blacksmith, served four years and a half, and at the end of that time engaged in business for himself, opening a shop at Sparta, which he condneted for a number of years. In 1862 he made a trip to Portland, Oregon, to look after the estate of his deceased brother, Crawford Dobbins, au Oregon pioneer of 1849, who was blown up with the steamer Gazelle while making her trial trip. Returning to the East in 1863, Mr. Dobbius enlisted for three months' service in Company K, 142d Illinois Volunteer Infantry. and served in the department of Tennessee, chiefly on gnard duty in the vicinity of Mem- phis. ITis terin of service was extended to six months, at the end of which time he was discharged and returned to Sparta.

Mr. Dobbins continued his blacksmith busi- ness in Sparta until 1869, when he sold ont and came to Olympia, Washington, where his aunt, Jane Wilie, widow of Adam Wilie, re- sided, and still lives, being now eighty years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Wilie came to this coast in 1849. Shortly after his arrival here, Mr. Dobbins built a two-story shop, 20 x 40 feet, on the corner of Third and Washington streets. opened a general blacksmith shop, and also engaged in the manufacture of light and heavy wagons, which he continued up to 1876. That year he sold out, and he and his family made a trip East, visiting the Centennial at Philadel- phia. Returning to Olympia in the fall he resumed business on the okl site, and in the spring of 1877 bought the shop of Rice Tilley, corner of Third and Columbia streets. He did a general blacksmith business until 1891, when he sold out and retired.

Mr. Dobbins was married in Randolphi county, Illinois, in 1857, to Miss Eunice Holden, a native of that county. They have two children-Nettie, wife of Fred Guyot, and Adelaide,

Financially he may be classed with the suc- cessful men of the city. He has made wise in- vestments and has accumulated valuable real estate here, and while he has been devoted to his business interests, he has taken also a con- mendable interest in public affairs. Ile served

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one term as Mayor of Olympia, several terms as a member of the Council, and one term as County Commissioner. In the Republican county convention of August, 1892, he was nominated as Sheriff of Thurston connty. Socially, Mr. Dobbins is a member of the I. (). O. F. and encampment, I. O. G. T., A. O. U. W., and George H. Thomas Post, G. A. R.

F REDRICK AND STEPHEN SHOBERT. Fredrick Shobert, the father of Stephen, was born in Pennsylvania in 1814, his parents being John and Catherine (Harmon) Shobert. He was married in 1836, to Miss Catherine Mace, of Luzerne county, Pennsyl- vania, a daughter of Jacob and Polly (Ketner) Mace. They moved from Pennsylvania to Illi- mois in 1847, and in 1849 F. Shobert crossed the plains to California, mining for gold until the fall of 1851, when he returned to his family by the way of the Isthmus of Panama and New York. In the following spring he started for Oregon with his family, making the journey across the plains with ox teams.

The party crossed the Missonri river at Conn- cil Bluffs, Iowa, and followed the route via Platte river and Fort Laramie to Salmon Falls, ou Snake river, from which point the train took an entirely new route, crossing the Snake river at Salmon Falls and proceeding to Fort Boisc. This was the origin of this route, which was afterward followed by a majority of the emi- grants.

They arrived in Portland, Oregon, in Sep- tember, and lived there until the spring of 1853, when they moved on to the place where Stephen Shobert now resides, about twenty miles north of Portland, in this State. The place was originally a donation claim, and con sisted of a tract of 320 acres of land, most of which was covered with a heavy growth of tim- ber. This was the principal reason that induced Mr. Shobert to select this claim, as he could log the timber and roll it to the water for early transportation. With the exception of a short trip to California in 1855, Mr. Shobert resided here until his death, which occurred September 14, 1873. He is buried at Vancouver. He was a faithful member and active Trustee of the Methodist Church at Union Ridge, now Ridge- field. He was a Republican politically. Mr.

and Mrs. Shobert had five children, of whom two, Polly and Jacob, are deceased. Those living are Amanda, William Henry and Stephen, the subject of the remainder of our sketch.

Stephen Shobert was born in Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, January 30, 1837, and was ten years old when the family removed to Illinois, and remembers distincly the journey across the plains with its attendant incidents, which occurred when he was fifteen years old. He received his early education in Pennsylvania and Illinois, and pursned his studies after reaching this section, at Vancouver. He was reared to manhood on the home place, living there con- tinuously with exception of the fall and winter when the hostility of the Indians compelled the family to seek safety in Portland. In 1861 he decided to try his fortune in the Oro Fina mines, but this venture was attended with but poor success, and in the spring of 1863 he went to the Boise basin, where he mined for nearly nine years, making and losing money as the Inek went. Finally, with no prospect of per- manent success in the business, he returned to his home in September of 1873, just a short time before his father's death, and has remained there since. He was married there on July 4, 1882, to a widow, who had one child, named Henry. Her maiden name was Miss Julia Vin- ton. They have had five children, of whom one died in infancy. Those living are Effie O., Cora E., Freddie E. and Warren Roy.

Mr. Shobert is a Republican politically, and was School Clerk from the time of his return from Idaho until 1892, when he resigned. He was also Postmaster at Union Ridge (now Ridge- field) from 1873 until 1886, when he resigned in favor of S. P. Mackey, his successor in the business of general merchandise, in which he had been engaged during the eight years pre. vious.

J ARED W. McIRVIN was born in Hardin county, Ohio, on June 13, 1885, and is the son of Edward and Mary Ellen (Smith) MeIrvin. When he was one year old the fam- ily removed to Putnam county, Missouri, where they lived until 1860, when they crossed the plains and located at Walla Walla, where they remained for three years, when they removed to Linn county, Oregon, but in the spring of 1864

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they went back to Walla Walla, where they re- mamed one year. They have located a claim in Clarke county, on the old battle ground. It was there that the mother died, in 1866.

Jared W. received his education mostly in the State, and worked at farming until man- hood. In 1878 he was married. Ile then worked for awhile in Portland, but later leased a farın in Clarke county, where he engaged in cutting and shipping wood to Portland. In 1884 he bought forty acres of land where he now resides, and where he has lived, off and on, since purchasing it. He now has one of the finest farms in Clarke county, devoted to raising of prunes and other fruits.

Mrs. McIrvin was formerly a Miss Ellen Powly, daughter of Christian and Elizabeth (Weigel) Powly. Her parents were married in Clarke county, where her father took up a dona- tion claim of 320 acres in 1851, and now re- sides there. Her mother died in 1871.

Mr. and Mrs. McIrvin have seven children living, viz .: Vinnie Belle, Anna Elizabeth, Ed- ward, Jared Christian, Alexander Osevard, Mar- tin Leonard and Elmon Emerson.

Mr. McIrvin is a member of Fruit Valley Grange, No. 80, Patrons of Husbandry, Politi- cally he is a stanch Republican. Ile is now a prosperous farmer, and one of Washington's most respected rural citizens. Ilis success is due to his own thrift and energy.

E UGENE S. HORTON, one of the enter- prising young business men of Olympia, Washington, was born in this city, Sep- tember 10, 1861.

His father, William N. Ilorton, was born in Goshen, New York, in 1831. Leaving home in early manhood, he went to New Orleans and engaged in work upon the Mississippi river steamboats and learned the trade of engineer, running upon the river until the California gold excitement of 1848. In 1849 he joined the tide of emigration that swept toward the El Dorado of the West, making the journey to San Francisco via the Panama ronte. Instead of going to the mines he engaged in speculation in the city, became the owner of business prop- erty and rented the same until the great fire of 1852, when his buildings went up in flame and smoke. He then removed to Oregon, and for

several years was engaged as engineer on the river boats Fashion and Lot Whitcomb. In the spring of 1853 he was married at the Cas- cades to Miss Emma Ilartsock. In 1855 he came to Puget Sound. That same year he ac- companied Captain J. G. Parker to San Fran- cisco and brought to the Sound the propeller Traveler, upon which he was employed as en- gineer for a number of years, until he ulti- mately purchased the vessel. In the fall of 1856 the steamer was lost off Foulweather bluff while under charter to the Indian Department. About 1867 Mr. Horton organized the Wash- ington Water Company, being associated with Captain Hlale and S. D. Hlowe. The present city water system is the outgrowth of that enterprise. This interest necessitated the pro- duction of some pipe for carrying purposes, and Mr. Horton began the manufacture of wooden conduit, establishing a mannfactory at Tum- water, and incorporating the Washington Pipe Manufacturing Company, which was success- fully continued for a number of years. He in- vented and patented many appliances for the improvement of wooden water-conduits. The business is now being continued by the Puget Sound Pipe Co. Mr. Horton died March 8, 1887. Ile was a man of energy, enterprise and great will power, and added materially to the development of his adopted city.

Engene S. Horton was educated in the schools of Olympia, receiving practical training in con- nection with his father's interests, and while engaged in the water-works system he learned the trade of plumbing. He first established a shop in 1883, which he conducted about three years. Then he accepted the position of Super. intendent and Manager of the water-works sys- tem, and held that office until 1889, when he went to Fairhaven and opened a shop for gen- eral plumbing work. In 1891 he returned to Olympia and opened a store at 316 Fourth street for the sale of stoves, tinware and plumb- ing goods, with experienced workmen in every department.

He was married in Olympia, September S. 1883, to Miss Inez Baker, a native of Kentucky and a daughter of Captain Volney Baker of the regular armny. They have three children: Stanley B., Margorie E., and Iloy.

Socially, Mr. Horton affiliates with the K. of P. and the B. P. O. E. Ile resides at 203 Thirteenth street, where he built his handsome home in 1888. During the same year he platted

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ten acres on the east side, bordering Fourth street, and added it to the city as Horton's ad- dition. He also owns valuable improved busi- ness and residence property at Fairhaven. Through him is worthily continued the name which all learned to love and respect during the life of his honored father.

J OHN M. SWAN, one of the earliest pio- neers of Olympia, Washington, was born in the town of Greenock, Scotland, April 17, 1823. When a child he moved with his parents to the island of Skye (one of the Heb- rides), on the northwest coast of Scotland. In the year 1837 his family removed to the city of Glasgow, where he began to learn the trade of machinist and mechanical engineering, but that business being too confining and not agreeing with his health, was abandoned by him after he had served nearly a year at it. He then became apprenticed to Robert Barklay, who carried on the business of shipbuilding and repairing in Finniston, a suburb of Glasgow, on the north bank of the river Clyde. After having served the term of his apprenticeship- five years-he emigrated to the British provinces of North America, taking passage on the bark Yorkshire, at Liverpool, May 17, 1843, and after a stormy passage, landing at Pictou, Nova Scotia, June 22. After a stay of a few days only in the town of Pieton, he went to Prince Edward's island, where he followed his trade for nearly two years. Leaving the island in May, 1845, he went to Halifax, and thence to St. John's, New Brunswick.

Being animated with a desire for adventure and to visit distant lands, he shipped as carpen- ter on the ship Athol, then bound on a whaling voyage to the south seas, for a three years' cruise. In Jannary, 1846, the ship rounded Cape Horn into the Pacific ocean, and after crnising for a few months in the south Pacific, the ship went into the port of San Carlos, in the island of Chiloe, adjoining the coast of Chili. Here circumstances induced him to leave the ship. After a residence of about five months in San Carlos, he went to Valparaiso and engaged in the service of the South Pacific Mail Steamship Company, being for a short time at the company's headquarters in the port of Calao, Peru. This company had a mail sub-

sidy from the several republics along the west coast of Sonth America, and connected (via the Isthmus of Panama) with the mail packet line from Southampton to the West Indies and Chagres. The South Pacific Mail Steamship Company ronte extended from Panama, in New Granada, to Valparaiso, in Chili, and employed four steamships: the Chili and Peru, wooden ships, and the Equador and New Granada, iron vessels. Mr. Swan was soon transferred to the position of carpenter on board the steamship Equador, where he remained until January, 1849, when he left the company's employ to come to California. He arrived in San Fran- cisco in April of that year, and after remaining there abont two weeks, went to the mines, land- ing in Sullivan's diggings on the 13th of May. 1849. Having only moderate luck in the mines, he returned to San Francisco in September. After a temporary sojourn at the latter place, on the 2d of November he took passage for Puget Sound on the brig Orbit, William Dun- ham being master, and had for fellow-passen- gers W. Il. Murray, now a resident of Pierce county, and Chans ' Hart Smith, from Calais, Maine. They had a good run from San Fran- cisco to Cape Flattery, which was made in eight days, when tempestnons weather drove them off shore, and for two weeks they were baffling with the storm along the coast, nnable to enter the strait of Fnca. Finally, during a tempo- rary lull they succeeded in gaining Neah bay, where they remained storm bound for three weeks or more, when, being favored with better weather, they weighed anchor and sailed for Victoria, a trading station of the Hudson's Bay Company, situated on Vancouver island, on the north side of the strait, and distant from the cape about seventy miles. They were in Vic. toria on Christmas day, 1849. Leaving Vic- toria, they crossed the strait of Fuca toward Point Wilson, where they met a storm which drove them to Protection island, off Port Dis- covery. There they made anchor and remained two days until the storm abated. Taking an Indian pilot to point out the route through Ad- miralty inlet and Puget Sound, they continued on their journey. January 1, 1850. they ar- rived at Fort Nesqually. This fort was a trading post of the Hudson's Bay Company, under the management of Dr. William Fraser Tolmie as factor. Dr. Tolmie was also a shareholder in the company. Leaving Fort Nisqually, they arrived at Budd's inlet, the head of ship navi-

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gation on Puget Sound. The brig Orbit, on which he arrived from San Francisco, was the first vessel that ever navigated the waters of the Sound above Fort Nesqually, distance by water twenty miles. At the point on Budd's inlet where the landing was made is now situated the city of Olympia, the capital of the State of Washington. From this point an estuary of the inlet extends to the falls of the Des Chutes river, one and a half miles distant, where a saw- mill and gristmill had been built in the year 1848, by Michael T. Simmons and others, At this time, however, the sawmill was not in operation, owing to the fact that most of the early settlers had gone to the California gold mines.

Anticipating the result of a measure then pending in Congress, having in view the grant- ing of 640 aeres to each of those who would migrate to and settle upon lands in Oregon (this being then a part of the Oregon Territory), and which measure, the "Donation Aet," passed September 27, 1850, Mr. Simmons took posses- sion of and claimed a section of land, inelnding the falls of the Des Chutes, and on the same laid out an embryo town, the first town north of the Columbia river, to which he gave the name of New Market. This name was afterward changed to that of Tumwater. Mr. Simmons bonght an interest in the brig Orbit, and having some lumber on hand at his mill, loaded the vessel with it and some shingles, and sent the same to San Francisco. At the point of landing on Budd's inlet a tract of land comprising 320 aeres was possessed and claimed by Edmund Sylvester, who, in conjunction with M. T. Sim- mons, J. M. Swan, William II. Murray, Colonel I. N. Ebey, Benjamin F. Shaw, Charles H. Smith and Captain William Dunham, laid out and started the town of Olympia, each receiving from the proprietor a donation of two town lots, with the understanding that they would improve the same by erecting buildings thereon. J. M. Swan, having completed his house, moved into it Mareh 23, 1850. This was the first house erected in the town, and Mr. Swan is therefore the pioneer of the eity of Olympia. In Febru- ary, 1850, he made a trip to Cowlitz prairie, a distance of forty miles, to the residence of John R. Jackson, who was then Clerk of the Distriet Court, and declared his intention to become a eitizen of the United States. In the spring of the same year he took possession of a donation claim of 320 acres adjoining the town site of

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An illustrated history of the state of Washington, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 136

Author: Hines, Harvey K., 1828-1902 Publication date: 1893 Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis publishing company Number of Pages: 1056

Author: Hines, Harvey K., 1828-1902
Publication date: 1893
Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis publishing company
Number of Pages: 1056