An illustrated history of the state of Washington, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 157

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 157

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by the Hawaii government. Dr. Rawson served as physician and surgeon under the government at Hana, on the island of Maui, and was also physician in charge of three plantations, which employed from 200 to 500 hands. After about three years on the island the Doctor returned to the United States for a short visit, and then went to Europe to continue his medical studies. Ile gave special attention to surgery at Paris and Vienna, was absent about eighteen months, practiced in Chicago one year, followed his pro- fession in Helena, Montana, until July, 1890, when he came to Seattle. Ile was engaged in practice with Dr. F. A. Churchill until in June, 1892, but since that time has continued alone. Dr. Rawson has conducted a general practice, and is now devoting himself to office work, chiefly of a surgical character, in which he has been very successful and established a wide reputation.

The Doctor was married in Salt Lake City in November, 1888, to Miss Nancy Forest Norton, a native of Virginia, and a lineal descendant of Nathaniel Green, of Georgetown, Virginia. To this union has been born one child, George Al. ward. Dr. Rawson is a member of the King County Homeopathic Medical Society and of the National Institute of Homeopathy. He has erected a handsome residence on the corner of Drexel avenne and California street, over- looking Lake Washington, and he has closely identified himself with the interests of Seattle.

W ILLIAM F. BOYD, resident of Seattle and one of the representative photog- raphers of the Northwest, was born in Darke county, Ohio, September 5, 1848. Ilis father was born, reared and educated in Penn- sylvania, then located in Ohio about 1833 and engaged in farming, subsequently marrying Miss Mary J. Edinger, of that State.

William F. Boyd was reared upon the farm and attended the schools of that locality until 1865, when with his parents he removed to Madison county, Iowa, where his father con- tinued agricultural operations. William F. went to Winterset and entered a photographic estab- lishment, where he spent two years in learning the details of the business. In 1868 he moved to Des Moines, and one year later opened a gal- lery, which he conducted with such success that

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he soon became the leading photographer of that State, and for ten years received the first pre- miums from the Iowa State fair.

In 1888 he came to Seattle and at once took a position among the foremost photographers of the city. Soon after becoming established his gallery was destroyed in the great fire of June, 1889. He then carried on business at Belltown for one year, and in the spring of 1890 organ- ized the Boyd-Braas Company, opened hand- some photographic parlors and conducted a successful business until the spring of 1893, when Mr. Boyd retired from the firm to estab- lish a studio with fittings and appointments un- surpassed by any gallery in the Northwest. His art rooms are located on the upper floor of the Union Block, where abundant space, con- venient arrangement and elegance of finish, to- gether with a spacious operating room, equipped with modern appliances, make a most complete establishment for operative photography, which Mr. Boyd intends conducting upon highly artistie principles.

He was married at Des Moines, in 1875, to Miss Sarah M. Loudenbeck. They have four children: Luln M., Reuben W., Ruth and Earl Ingersoll. Personally, Mr. Boyd is deservedly popular, and is much esteemned for his many ad- mirable social qualities.

J B. KNAPP, a resident of Clarke county, Washington, is one of the notable pioneers of the Northwest, and of his life the fol- lowing sketch is appropriate in this work.

J. B. Knapp was born in Geneva township, Ashtabula county, Ohio, August 2, 1821, his parents being Auren and Sarah Maria (Burrell) Knapp. His father was born in Norfolk, Con- necticut. The Knapps of New England are descended from three brothers who came to this country from England in the seventeenth cen- tury, though his family is supposed to have originated in Germany. The mother of J. B. Knapp was born in Sheffield, Massachusetts, her people having long resided in that State. Both the Knapps and the Burrells were early settlers in Ohio, and the parents of our subject were married in Lorain county, and afterward re- moved to Ashtabula county.

J. B. Knapp was reared in his native county, and was educated at Kingsville Academy,

where he spent four years. In early life he taught school in order to support himself and to obtain his education, as his father was a man of limited means. In 1844 we find him in the South, teaching at Fayette, Jefferson county, Mississippi. From there he drifted over into Louisiana, where he secured a position as teacher of mathematics and music in the Diggs Acad- emy. Next, he founded a seminary at Cicily island, near Harrisburg, on the Wascitta river, of which he was principal three years. At the end of that of that time he returned to his na tive place in Ohio, taking his family with him, he having been married in the South. Mr. Knapp's next move was to the Pacific coast. He made the journey by rail to Cincinnati, thence by the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to St. Louis, and from there to St. Joseph, on the Mis- souri river. He had brought a wagon from Ohio, and at St. Joseph he bought five yoke of cattle, and with this outfit he continued his long journey. He traveled by land through Missouri and Iowa to Council Bluffs, thence over the country and past Fort Laramie, up the Platte and on by way of South Pass, Green river and Fort Hall toward the headwaters of Snake river, on to Fort Boise, thence across the Blue mountains, and by way of the Columbia to Portland. IIe went by flatboat to the Cascades, and thence took the little steamer, Multnomah, to Portland, where he arrived October 25, 1852.

The first portion of this long and memorable trip was made under favorable anspices. Later Mr. Knapp was taken with the cholera and nearly succumbed. About the time he re- covered his faithful wife was stricken with the same disease and died. He also lost one child on the way. Thus, with his ouly remaining child, a little daughter, he arrived in Portland with a heavy heart and with prospects blighted. The boat tied up at the foot of Washington street on Sunday morning, and he and his little daughter spent the following night in a lodging house. His long overland journey had well nigh exhausted his limited means, and he found it necessary to look about him at once and se- enre employment. On the street he soon had the good fortune to meet an old acquaintance, who took him to his home, and whose wife cared for the motherless little girl. After taking din- ner with this friend on that day, Mr. Knapp strolled along the levee until he reached the Warren House, where, seeing a pile of cord wood at the back door, he went in and secured the

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job of entting it, receiving $2 per cord and his board while he was at work. Ile earned $19 at this job.

The following winter Mr. Knapp spent at Cedar camp. back of Milwaukee, where he was engaged in cutting shingles. In the spring le went down to the head of Sanvie's island. On his overland journey Mr. Knapp had left a horse and two oxen with a man at The Dalles and in the spring, this man had also come to the island and had bought a piece of land. The horse Mr. Knapp secured but never again saw the oxen. He was offered the use of all the land he could clear, for the season, and, vegetables briging a high price, he cleared off an acre and a half, grabbed it out with a hoe, planted it to potatoes, and had it to replant as the high waters of June washed his first seed away. After he had put in his potatoe crop, he and this other man, Mr. Fales, got two scythes and began mak- ing hay on the island, taking the product by boat to Milwaukee. That season they made and sold 160 tons of hay, their labor resulting in financial success. The following winter he seenred work at the carpenter's trade, and, al- though he was inexperienced in that line, he re- ceived 84 per day, and had work the whole winter.

The following fall Mr. Knapp removed with the Fales family-Mr. Fales having disposed of his property on the island-to a point a little below the location of Mr. Knapp's present home. He worked a little in the neighborhood, helping to build a house, etc., and also took up a claim and worked on it. When the war with the Indians broke out he enlisted in Captain Maxon's company, but was drawn into the Quar- termaster's department, and served in that ca- pacity through the war, a part of the time in Vancouver, the rest in Portland, He was dis- charged in October.

After the Indian war was over Mr. Knapp was offered a position to travel through Cali- fornia and represent a Portland nursery, with a salary of $100 per month and expenses. This · proposition he accepted, and early in December he started for the Golden State with a lot of fruit trees and other nursery stock, spending the winter in California and meeting with good success in his business. He invested his earn- ings in the planting of two orchards in Cali- fornia. Upon his return to Portland, the man in whose employ he had been wanted to go in partnership with him, buying and selling prod-

nce. Neither had any capital, but they rented the Butler & Kaiser store, corner of First and Taylor streets, and at once launched out in a successful business; indeed, so successful were their transactions that the first year they cleared over $7,500. When the fruit crop began to show up, the farmers said if Mr. Knapp would go to San Francisco to receive fruit they would ship to him, which he did. He engaged only desk room in a San Francisco office at first, this proving sufficient for two years; but the vol- ume of trade increased to such an extent that, in October, 1859, he opened a large double-front store, and on every steamer from 7,000 to 9,000 boxes of fruit were shipped to him, and he soon found himself handling half the fruit from Ore- gon. He could not, however, keep his partner within bounds, and, unknown to Mr. Knapp, the former started a gigantic speculation in fruit, engaged immense quanities at stated prices, and the result was that they soon found themselves financially ruined, notwithstanding Mr. Knapp's skill and shrewdness. At the end of the season every body was paid, but the money was all gone.

March 1, 1860, in partnership with his old bookkeeper, he started the house of Knapp, Bur- rell & Company. In 1867 he built cement works. In 1869 he built a mill opposite As- toria, had a township surveyed, which he named Knappton, acquired all the water frontage, and opened an extensive business, it, however, being at an inopportune time, considering the state of the market. In 1870 he withdrew from the firm of Knapp, Burrell & Company, whose busi- ness he had built up, and of which for ten years he had been the head and manager. The mill he continued to operate until the fall of 1876. At that time he came to his present location, having made a trade for the property. The fol- lowing year he engaged in the dairy business, and in this line has since met with excellent success. At this writing he has about sixty-five head of fine dairy cows, makes the best grade of butter, and ships his product direct to the Port- land market. The splendid improvements on his place are all due to his enterprise and good management.

Mr. Knapp was first married in February, 1849, to Miss Lucy Wells, whose sad death, as above stated, occurred while they were crossing the plains. The little girl, Lucy, who landed in Portland with her father, died in San Fran- cisco about the time she was budding into

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young womanhood. In October, 1859, Mr. Knapp was married in Sacramento, to Miss Caroline H. Benjamin, who died March 4, 1893, after an illness of nearly four years. To them was born one child, Jabez Burrell Knapp, Jr., in Sacramento, in 1870.

Politically, Mr. Knapp is a Republican. He is a life member of San Francisco Lodge, No. 3, F. & A. M., and since 1845 has been a mem- ber of the I. O. O. F., having been initiated in- to the latter organization at Port Gibson, Mis- sissippi.

W ILLIAM SMITH McIRVIN, deceased, was born in Pennsylvania in the year 1838, son of Edward and Mary Ellen (Smith) McIrvin. His father was born in Al- legheny county, Pennsylvania, of Scotch descent; his mother, also a native of Pennsylvania, was descended from the Irish. They were reared and married in that State, and shortly after their marriage emigrated to Hardin county, Ohio, whence, in 1856, they removed to southern Missouri, and two years later to Putnam county, in the northern part of Missouri. In 1860 the McIrvin family made the long and tedious journey across the plains, in a " prairie schooner," drawn by ox teams. They had some trouble with the Indians at Stillwater, but with this exception met with no serious obstacles. Their route took them through Iowa and down the Snake river, thence over the usual route to Walla Walla, Washington, where they arrived in October of the same year. In that vicinity they remained until 1863, when they went to Linn county, Oregon. The following spring, however, they returned to Walla Walla. In 1865 they came to Clarke county, Washington, and took a homestead claim at Battle Ground. Here the mother of William S. died on March 2, 1866. His father afterward went back to Walla Walla, was married again, and lost his second wife in 1879; he died in Clarke county, September 7, 1886.

William S. MeIrvin was with his parents in their various moves from Pennsylvania to Ohio and then to Missouri, and came with them across the plains to the northwest. Previons to their overland journey he had married Miss Mary Jane Fox, a native of Ohio. After his arrival in Washington he enlisted in the service of the

United States, his service during the Civil war being principally at Walla Walla and vicinity. After his discharge he took up a homestead claim at Battle Ground in Clarke county, where, with the exception of two years, he resided until abont 1884. He then located in Lewis county, but subsequently came back to Clarke county, and in May, 1886, died at the place where his son Marion E. now resides. Mrs. McIrvin had died in 1872, in Cowlitz county, where they re- sided abont two years. A record of their nine children is as follows: Marion E., further men- tion of whom is given below; Samuel Everett; Amanda Ellen, wife of Henry Carrington; Vir- ginia Belle, wife of John F. Boone, is deceased; William; Florence, who died in infancy; Em- mett Jolin; Watt Ellsworth; and one that died in infancy.

Marion E. McIrvin, of Felida, Clarke county, Washington, oldest child of the above named parents, was born in Putnam county, Missouri, July 31, 1860, and when an infant was brought across the plains by his parents. Ile was reared and educated in Washington, chiefly in Clarke county, and resided with his parents as long as they lived. Since his father's death he has con- tinued to reside in Clarke county. In 1882 he purchased forty-one acres of land at Felida, but has since disposed of all of it except ten acres, which he has planted to fruit, chiefly Italian prunes. . Under President Harrison's adminis- tration Mr. McIrvin was appointed the first Postmaster of Felida, and in connection with the office he also opened a store, which he has since conducted and in which he is doing a suc- cessful business. He affiliates with the Re- publican party.

March 2, 1882, Mr. MeIrvin married Miss Ella May Lewis, a native of King county, Washington, daughter of C. C. Lewis. Her par- ents were among the pioneers of Washington, they having located in Seattle before the Indian wars, and had their property destroyed by the savages. Mr. and Mrs. McIrvin have five chil- dren: Harley Artemus, Elsie May, Amanda Ethel, Eldon and John Earl.

JOHN D. HARRIS was born in Linn county, Iowa, on September 24, 1847. His parents, Samuel and Esther (Baker) Harris, were among the early settlers in Iowa,

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and his father was a farmer and mill man of that section. When John D. was ten years old the family removed to Missouri, in Sullivan connty, where he was reared and educated until the age of twenty. In 1868 he erossed the plains to Oregon in an emigrant train of twenty wagons, the journey being made by way of Forts Kearney and Laramie, the north side of the Platte, following the Union Pacific Rail- way's entrance into Oregon, over the Cascades. He first began farming on the Tualatin plains, near Hillsboro, and later on followed wood- eutting, which he continued for eight years. He then engaged in dairy farming business on a place near the month of the Willamette river. In 1885 he located in Fourth plain, Clarke county, and remained until 1889, when he bought the place which he now owns. He is devoting the farm to fruit-raising, and has already planted abont 1,600 Italian prune trees and two and one-half acres of strawberries.

Mr. Harris was married in Clarke county, on October 10, 1875, to Miss Laura D. Sturgis, daughter of Andrew and Susan (Pathson) Stur- gis, who were among the pioneer settlers of Washington Territory. They have three chil- dren, viz .: Clyde, Ray and Beryl.

Mr. Harris is a Republican politically, and has always taken an active part in politics since becoming a resident of Clarke county. He has held the office of County Commissioner for two years. In 1892 he was a delegate to the State Republican convention. He is a member of the Fruit Valley Grange, No. 80, Patrons of Husbandry.

T HOMAS L. MANWELL, whose home has been in Clarke connty, Washing- ton, since 1870, was born in Buchanan county, lowa, June 18, 1864, a son of William and Elizabeth Jane (Shoemaker) Man- well. The father and mother were both natives of Ohio, but were united in marriage in Kos- cinsco county, Indiana. They emigrated to Buch- anan connty, Iowa, where they were among the pioneer settlers, and afterward removed to Kansas; they returned to Iowa, however, and thence came to the Pacific coast in the spring of 1870. Mr. Manwell took up a ranch in Tum Tum valley, Clarke county, Washington; his life was not long spared to enjoy the new

home, his death occurring in the autumn of 1871. Thomas L. Manwell is one of a family of eleven children: Benjamin, deceased; Rachel, wife of Horatio Boardman, who resides in Iowa; George, John, Edward, William, Heury, Thomas L., the subject of this sketch, F. M., and two children who died in infancy. He was a child of six years when his parents came to Clarke county, and here he has grown to manhood and received his education. Reared to the occupa- tion of a farmer, he is now following this voca- tion. He owns a tract of eighty acres which was heavily timbered when he made the pur- chase; from twenty acres he has cleared the forest, and is gradually developing a fertile farm. He is a man of thrifty, industrious habits, and is certain to take a prominent place among the agriculturis's of his community.

Mrs. Elizabeth Jane Manwell was born March 20, 1820, and has passed the "three score years and ten" averaged in tradition as the span of human life. She is active and sprightly in spite of her many years of hardship and privation as a pioneer. She resides with her son, Thomas L., and is greatly comforted in her old age by the loving loyalty of her sons and danghters, who have, indeed, risen up to " call her blessed."

P ROF. HARVEY REESE COX, Superin- tendent of Schools in Pierce county, Washington, a scholarly and energetic gentleman and progressive, enterprising citizen, well and favorably known in the North- west, was born in Keosanqua, Iowa, May 27, 1854. His parents, Randolph and Sarah ( Mc- Intosh) Cox, were persons of more than ordinary intelligence and enterprise, and assisted in pav- ing the way in Iowa for its present greatness and civilization, they having gone before, in early frontier times, and scattered the seeds of en- lightenment and culture which have ripened into the golden fruit of present prosperity and education.

The subject of this sketch was reared in his native town, attending the home schools and enjoying the refining influences of parental care, until he was nineteen years of age. He then entered the normal school at Troy, Iowa, where he finished a course of instruction and received a Professor's certificate. Ile then began teach- ing in Pleasant View, Iowa, but, later, induced

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by the opportunities afforded in the Northwest to men of education, he decided to cast his for- tunes with that country. Accordingly, he came to Washington, arriving in Goldendale, April 26, 1877. Shortly after reaching that place, he joined a company of forty volunteers to fight the Indians, but experienced no service other than building stockades. His first school in Washington was at Spring Creek, where he was engaged in teaching for two years. He then, in the fall of 1879, accepted the position of vice- principal of a school in Goldendale, which pre- ferment he resigned to become Deputy Auditor of Klickitat county. In 1880, he was appointed Superintendent of the Yakima Indian Industrial Boarding School, at Fort Simcoe, where he re- inained three years, and then resigned to come to Orting, Pierce county. He was shortly after- ward elected principal of Puyallup school, in that place, and later resigned on account of ill health. He then opened in Orting a store, which he conducted for a year, and then dis- continued to accept the position of Superintend. ent of Schools of Pieree county, to which he was elected in the fall of 1884. He served in that capacity for one term of two years, and was then elected principal of Fern Hill school in the fall of 1885, teaching in connection with this office, which he held four years. On July 15, 1885, while serving his first term as County Superintendent, he received a Territorial life diploma, a consistent recognition of his ability. He next came to Taeoma, and, with a partner, engaged in the furniture business under the firm name of Sly & Cox, at No. 938 C street, where he continued one year. In the fall of 1890, he was elected principal of Orting school which, with three assistants, he conducted for one year, at the end of which time he was eleeted principal of Roy sehool for fifteen months. In November, 1892, he was elected Superintendent of Schools for Pierce county for two years, and is now devoting his entire time and energies to looking after the schools under his charge. Few have been as successful in his chosen line of work, and the cause is not far to seek, finding its basis primarily in a natural aptitude and love for the work with a high sense of the duties involved, a combination of spiritual forces against which no material ob- stacles ean prevail.

September 22, 1881, Prof. Cox was married to Anna Weller, of Portland, Oregon, at that time a successful teacher in Goldendale. She

comes of one of the oldest families on the Paeifie coast, her grandfather, William Porter, being a well known pioneer of Oregon. She has been a faithful assistant to the Professor in teaching ing and is now principal of Steilaeoom sehool with one co-worker. They have three children: Mary Clarinda, aged nine years; Andora, six; and Allen Porter, four years old.

Politically, Prof. Cox is a Republican and takes a deep interest in public affairs. He is, fraternally, a member of the I. O. O. F. and A. O. U. W., in both of which lodges he is an of- ficer.

Thus, all too briefly, is given an epitome of an eminently busy and useful life, whose actions have sprung from the highest motives and the deepest love for mankind.

J OHN CRISTMAN, has long been engaged in agricultural pursuits, and his farming operations have been characterized by the thrift so common among the German people.

Mr. Cristman was born in Germany in 1820. When he was twenty-seven years of age he emi- grated to America, landing at Baltimore, whence he soon afterward went to New Orleans, and from there to Monroe county, Illinois. He spent five years in Monroe county, and in 1852 went to California, where he was variously em- ployed until 1859. That year he went to the Fraser river mines, and finally settled in Lewis county, Washington. Some time later he moved to Thurston eounty, and after being there ten or eleven years eame back to Lewis county. Here he has since remained, engaged in farming.

E LMER JAMES ROSS, one of the pros- perous and successful young men of King county, Washington, is a native of this county, born in Seattle, May 30, 1861. He is a son of John and Mary J. (McMillan) Ross. His father, a millwright by trade, crossed the plains to this coast about 1852 or 1853. Elmer J. learned the trade of carpenter. In 1881 he left home, and continued to work at his trade for three years. In 1883 he located a claim of 160 acres, two miles north of Woodinville Junction, securing title to the same under the

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An illustrated history of the state of Washington, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 157

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