USA > Washington > Asotin County > Lyman's history of old Walla Walla County, embracing Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield and Asotin counties, Volume II > Part 10
USA > Washington > Columbia County > Lyman's history of old Walla Walla County, embracing Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield and Asotin counties, Volume II > Part 10
USA > Washington > Garfield County > Lyman's history of old Walla Walla County, embracing Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield and Asotin counties, Volume II > Part 10
USA > Washington > Walla Walla County > Lyman's history of old Walla Walla County, embracing Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield and Asotin counties, Volume II > Part 10
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Arthur H. Halle is one of a family of four children and is the only one resid- ing in America. He pursued his education in the schools of Germany and came to the United States in 1897, when a young man of twenty years. He first made his way to New York and afterward to Chicago, where he was employed in the Grand Pacific Hotel for ten years. Later he removed to Lewiston, Montana, and was afterward located at different periods in Miles City, Billings and Mis- soula, Montana. He then came to the "garden spot of the northwest," arriving in Walla Walla in 1911. Here he established the Grand Hotel, after which he returned to Missoula to look after his hotel interests in that city. Three years later he again came to Walla Walla to take up his permanent abode. He is associated with Charles Mullemer and J. S. Rick in the ownership of the hotel at Missoula and of the Grand in Walla Walla, the latter being one of the finest hostleries of this city. The Palace at Missoula is of equal rank and both are liberally patronized because of the excellent service rendered to the public. Mr. Halle and his associates maintain the highest standards in hotel management and conduct and displayed something of the spirit of the pioneer in that they have initiated new methods which add to the success of their business and to the comfort of their guests.
In Chicago, in 1901, Mr. Halle was united in marriage to Miss Alice Rick, who was born in that city, a daughter of J. S. Rick, who is yet living, while her mother has passed away. Mr. and Mrs. Halle have become the parents of two children, Laura and Dorothy. In the social circles of Walla Walla Mr. and
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Mrs. Halle are widely and favorably known, the hospitality of the best homes being freely accorded them.
Mr. Halle has made steady progress since coming to the United States, advancing step by step in the business world, and his enterprise and persever- ance have made him one of the successful hotel men of the northwest. His membership relations include connection with the Lutheran church, the Elks and the Commercial Club.
WILLIAM CHARLES PAINTER.
The days of chivalry and knighthood in Europe cannot furnish more inter- esting or romantic tales than our own western history. Into the wild mountain fastnesses of the unexplored west went brave men whose courage was often called forth in encounters with hostile savages. The land was rich in all natural re- sources, in metals, in agricultural and commercial possibilities, and awaited the demands of man to yield up its treasures. But its mountain heights were hard to climb, its forests difficult to penetrate and the magnificent trees, the dense bushes or jagged rocks often sheltered the skulking foe, who resented the encroachment of the pale faces upon these "hunting grounds." The establishment of homes in this beautiful region therefore meant sacrifices, hardships and ofttimes death, but there were some men, however, brave enough to meet the red man in his own familiar haunts and undertake the task of reclaiming the district for purposes of civilization. The rich mineral stores of the northwest were thus added to the wealth of the nation. its magnificent forests contributed to the lumber industry and its fertile valleys added to the opportunities of the farmer and stock raiser ; and today the northwest is one of the most productive sections of the entire country. That this is so is due to such men as William Charles Painter, whose name is in- separably interwoven with the history of the region. No story of fiction contains more exciting chapters than may be found in his life record. He was one of the most prominent of those who engaged in Indian warfare and for many years he was also a leading figure in the agricultural development of this section of the state. Walla Walla numbered him among her most honored and valued citizens and his death was the occasion of deep and widespread regret.
William C. Painter was born in St. Genevieve, Missouri. April 18, 1830, and there the earliest years of his life were passed. His paternal ancestors came from Mercer county, Pennsylvania. His mother, who bore the maiden name of Jean Moore, was a daughter of Major Robert Moore, a veteran of the War of 1812 and well known in connection with the carly history of Oregon. In 1850 the father with his family started for Oregon, but when the Little Blue river was reached the father and two of the sons died of cholera. The mother and the surviving children continued the journey westward with sore hearts but with un- daunted courage and finally reached Washington county, Oregon, where donation land claims were secured.
There William C. Painter resided until 1863 and was prominently identified with the carly development of that section. At the time of the Indian war of 1855 he was one of the first to enlist, becoming a member of Company D, First
WILLIAM C. PAINTER
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Oregon Mounted Volunteers, which command fought the Indians for four days near Walla Walla, finally routing the red men, who retreated to the Palouse country. In this and many other engagements of the Indian war Mr. Painter dis- tinguished himself for bravery. He remained with his company until the close of hostilities. In 1855 certain young ladies of the Forest Grove Academy, now the Tualitin Academy and the Pacific University, presented the company with a flag. Mr. Painter's comrades in arms voted that he should become its bearer and the starry banner finally came into his exclusive possession and is still carefully preserved in the Painter household as a priceless relic. Upon its field there are but twenty-one stars and on the flag, inscribed in large letters, are the words, "Co. D, First Oregon Vol., 1855-6." In the war against the Bannock and Piute Indians in 1878, Mr. Painter again engaged in fighting the red men. He was appointed by Governor Ferry captain of a company of forty-two men and was assigned to duty on the gunboat Spokane under command of Major Cress of the regular army. The first engagement in which he participated was at Long Island in the Columbia river below Umatilla, in which the whites were successful. Major Cress, in a letter to Mr. Painter written from Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. under date of April 15, 1897, speaks very highly of the assistance which the latter rendered. After this engagement, in recognition of his valuable service, he was made aid-de-camp on the staff of Governor Ferry, with the rank of lieutenant colo- nel, and was placed in command of forty-two men. He was then sent to eastern Oregon to assist in defending the people against the Indians who had recently been defeated by General O. O. Howard. He passed south of the retreating bands to Camas Prairie with a view of intercepting the retreat. The hostile sav- ages, learning of his position. by a circuitous route passed around: him and es- caped, but he captured enough horses to pay the entire expenses of his com- mand. Although no battle was fought in that campaign, it was considered so hazardous that an offer of ten dollars per day for guides was not sufficient to cause anyone to accept and run the risk. In his official report, General O. O. Howard, quoting Captain John A. Cress, said: "Captain William C. Painter and the forty- two volunteers from Walla Walla deserve praise for good conduct and bravery, not excepting my Vancouver regiment and Captain Gray, with officers and crew of the steamer Spokane, who stood firmly at their posts under fire."
When the country no longer needed his military aid Captain Painter became a clerk for Flanders & Felton of Wallula, and when the senior member was elected to congress in 1867, Captain Painter took charge of the business. He also became postmaster of Wallula and the agent for the Wells Fargo Express Company. Returning to Walla Walla, he was appointed deputy collector of internal revenue for eastern Washington and in November, 1870, he resigned that position, al- though his resignation was not accepted until the following May. After retiring from office he made some unfortunate mill investments, in which he lost every- thing that he had saved. With courageous spirit, however, he again became a wage earner and was thus employed until 1876, when he was appointed receiver of the United States land office and occupied that position in most satisfactory manner until 1878, when he was elected county auditor. He served for four con- secutive terms in that position and the Waitsburg Times of March II, 1887, in speaking of him at his retirement from office, designated him as "the best auditor Walla Walla county ever had." He ever regarded a public office as a public
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trust and it is well known that no trust reposed in Captain Painter was ever betrayed in the slightest degree. Upon his retirement from the position of county auditor he concentrated his attention on farming, having fifteen hundred acres in the Eureka flats. While thus engaged he still occupied the old home on South Third street in Walla Walla, where the family still reside. He was thus extensivly engaged in general agricultural pursuits and continued his farming operations until about two years prior to his death.
On the 7th of January. 1864, Captain Painter was married to Miss Caroline Mitchell, the only daughter of Judge I. Mitchell, of Multnomah county, Oregon, and their children are: Philip MI., a resident of Walla Walla county ; Charles S., of Montana ; Maude M., the wife of Garrett D'Ablaing of Ellensburg ; Harry M., a Congregational minister of Seattle; Bonnie Jean, the wife of R. F. MacLane of Walla Walla; Marguerite M., the wife of Herbert Gall of Sascatoon, Canada ; Roy R., deceased ; Rex M., of Walla Walla county ; Caroline M., the wife of H. J. Wolff of Seattle; and Bruce I., of San Francisco. The family circle was broken by the hand of death when on the 4th of December, 1900, Captain Painter died of paralysis. For some time he was a vestryman of the Episcopal church which the family attend. His political allegiance had always been given to the republican party from the time of its organization and he was a most faithful follower of its principles. It is said that at every demonstration of a patriotic nature Captain Painter was called upon to take his place among the leaders. with his battle-scarred Indian war flag. Ilis patriotic sentiments led him to take a prominent part in the Pioneer Association of Oregon and he always made a special effort to be present at its meetings. He was also active among the Indian War Veterans and was the first grand commander of the organization. For years he belonged to the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He gave devoted loyalty to every cause which he espoused and his is a most notable and honorable record of a pioneer, a valiant soldier and one of nature's noblemen.
WILLIS E. L. FORD.
No history of the pioneer development of Walla Walla county and of the vast west would be complete without extended reference to the Ford family, for Willis E. L. Ford and his father have been particularly active in advancing develop- ment along those lines which have meant much to the upbuilding and progress of this section. Ile was born near Oregon City, Oregon. November 29, 1855, a son of Nineveh and Martha Jane (Simpson) Ford. The father was a native of North Carolina, while the mother's birth occurred in Missouri. He crossed the plains in 1843 with Marcus Whitman, making the journey with ox teams, and he built the first tannery in Oregon City and in fact in that entire section of the country. lle continued its operation for several years and also conducted a shoe store there. In 1848 he was one of the volunteers who enlisted for service against the Indians and traveled all over this section of the country in pursuit of the red men. It was at this time that the massacre of the white people at Walla Walla occurred. All that the soldiers had to eat for thirty days was the meat of a cayuse pony with- ont salt. His travels over this section of the country brought to Nineveh Ford a
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good knowledge of the land and its possibilities and in 1859 he removed with his family to the Walla Walla valley, settling upon a farm upon which he resided to the time of his death. It was a wild tract of land when it came into his possession but with characteristic energy he began to break the sod and till the fields. Ilis wife was the first white woman in the valley outside of the garrison. Mr. Ford built a log cabin with puncheon floor and doors and stick chimney and in true pioneer style began his life in Oregon territory. The latchstring of his cabin always hung out, assuring the traveler of a hearty welcome, and the stranger was always free to partake of whatever the table afforded. He worked diligently and persistently in the cultivation of his land and in the course of time his fields brought forth abundant harvests and his once wild tract was converted into a valuable farm. Moreover, he was one of the recognized leaders of the democratic party in this section of the state. He gave to that party his stalwart support, never faltering in his allegiance thereto, and twice he was called upon to represent his district in the state legislature while a resident of Oregon. Fraternally he was connected with the Masons and in his life exemplified the beneficent spirit of the craft, for he was continually extending a helping hand where aid was needed.
Willis E. L. Ford was one of a family of eleven children, seven of whom are now living. He shared with the family in all of the hardships and privations inci- dent to frontier life. Such a life develops a self-reliance and force of character which count for much in the later struggle for existence and business suprem- acy. He supplemented his early education by study in the seminary in Walla Walla and afterward settled upon a farm in Whitman county, taking up his abode there in 1877. For thirty-five years he lived upon that place, ranking with the leading and representative agriculturists of that section of the state. When more than a third of a century had been passed there he sold his property and in a considerable measure retired from active business life. He purchased a farm of twenty-four acres in College Place and has since lived there, giving his attention to the raising of fruit and also to the conduct of a dairy business. His interests are carefully managed and are bringing to him a substantial measure of success.
In 1886 Mr. Ford was united in marriage to Miss Rhoda A. Andross, who was born in Minnesota, a daughter of William H. and Sophronia (Winigar) Andross, the former a native of England, while the latter was born in the state of New York. They removed westward on leaving Minnesota and became residents of the Walla Walla valley, where both the father and mother passed away. Mr. and Mrs. Ford have become the parents of six children : Grace, who is now a nurse in Los Angeles, California ; Frank, also living in California; Edna, who was a college graduate and taught school for one week, after which she was killed by an electric car in Spokane, Washington; Orley, who is a missionary in South America ; and John and Orpha, both of whom are at home.
Mr. and Mrs. Ford hold membership with the Seventh Day Adventist church and take an active part in its work, doing all in their power to advance its growth and extend its influence. In politics Mr. Ford maintains a liberal course, not car- ing to bind himself by party lines. He served on the school board for several years and has ever been a champion of the cause of public education. There are few residents of Walla Walla county more familiar with the story of pioneer life and conditions in this section of the state than he. He was only four years of age
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when brought to Walla Walla county. In 1877 he served as a volunteer in the indian war and had his horse killed by his side. He thoroughly understands the red man, his nature and his problems. He has lived to see this section of the country no longer under the dominion of the savage and has witnessed its transformation as the work of modern day progress and improvement has been carried forward, whereby the natural resources of the country have been utilized and its wealth and progress thus greatly enhanced. The name of Ford figures prominently in connection with the history of the Inland Empire and Willis E. L. Ford indeed deserves mention among the honored pioneers.
CHARLES PLUCKER.
Charles Plucker was one of the honored citizens of the Walla Walla valley. Hle attained the age of eighty-two years but at the time of his death was still giving personal direction to his extensive and important farming interests. Ilis life experiences were varied and prominently connected him with the upbuilding and development of this section of the country. He was born in Germany, November 9, 1835, and was a son of Carl and Mary Plucker, who were also natives of that country, where they spent their entire lives. They had a family of eight children, four of whom are now living.
Charles Plucker, whose name introduces this review, was reared and educated in Germany, spending the first seventeen years of his life in that country. Ile then determined to try his fortune in the new world and become a resident of America. In 1854, therefore, he made the voyage across the Atlantic and for two years remained a resident of New York. In 1856 he enlisted at the age of nineteen years in the army of his adopted land and was located on Governors island. In 1857 he went to Fort Simcoe as a soldier and was on active military duty there for five years. He was later sent to Fort Colwell and in 1861 he received an honorable discharge, having for five years rendered active aid to the United States government in its efforts to protect American interests and the lives and property of the people upon the northwestern frontier.
Mr. Plucker was then honorably discharged and came to Walla Walla, where he opened a paint shop. Ile continued in active business in that city for fourteen years and in 1875 he turned his attention to general agricultural interests, pur- chasing a farm on the Touchet river on section 14, township & north, range 33 cast. He continued to reside upon that property until his death, being the owner of ten hundred and eighty acres of rich and valuable land which he greatly im- proved, adding thereto many commodious and substantial modern buildings and all the accessories and conveniences of the highly improved farm of the present clay. Few men of his years remain in such active connection with business affairs as did Mr. Plucker. Ile was, however, a well preserved man physically and mentally and seemed much younger than the record indicated.
On the 7th of October, 1868, Mr. Plucker was united in marriage to Miss Katherine A. Hauer, also a native of Germany, who came to the United States in 1868. She is a daughter of Christian and Augusta (Lüder) Hauer, who were born, reared and married in Schleswig-Holstein. The father, who was a hatter by
IP. AND MRS . CHARLES PLUCKER
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY IST OR IFYOUR TILD
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trade, died there August 6, 1866. In 1880 the mother came to America with a nephew and her daughter, Mrs. Frederika Roehl Behl, who located in San Francisco. After spending a few months in that city Mrs. Hauer came to Washington to make her home with another daughter, Mrs. Charles Plucker, and here she passed away April 29, 1881, at the age of eighty years. She was the mother of six children, all of whom are now deceased with the exception of Mrs. Plucker. Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Plucker, namely : Frederick and Charles, now deceased; W. H., who died at the age of forty-five years ; Magdalena, the wife of Peter Conrad ; and F. C., at home with his mother.
After a useful and well spent life Mr. Plucker passed away on the 30th of October, 1917. In his political views he was a democrat, supporting the party from the time he became a naturalized American citizen. Ile served on the school board but did not seek office, preferring to concentrate his efforts and attention upon his business affairs. He especially deserves mention among the self-made men of the state, for he started out in life empty-handed and all that he possessed was acquired through his persistent, earnest and honorable effort. The family is one of prominence here and has been widely and favorably known in the valley since early days.
A. F. ANDERSON.
A. F. Anderson is a retired farmer living in. Prescott. He has been closely identified with agricultural interests and is still the owner of valuable farming property, from which he derives a gratifying income; but at the present time he is largely leaving the management and operation of his land to others, for he is enjoying a rest which he has truly earned and richly deserves. He was born in Sweden, September 23, 1844, and was there reared and educated, spending the period of his boyhood and youth in that country. He was also married in his native land and in 1869, when a young man of twenty-five years, he crossed the Atlantic to the new world, making his way first to Kansas, where he resided for about twelve years, or until 1881. He then came to the northwest with Washington as his destination and was section foreman in this state for fifteen years. He also took up a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres and later he purchased one hundred and sixty acres more. His half section is all wheat land and has been brought under a high state of cultivation, large crops being annually gathered. Excellent improvements have been placed upon his farm and there is no accessory or convenience of the model farm property that is not found there. He owns a fine residence in Prescott and his surroundings are indicative of his life of well directed energy and thrift.
In 1869 Mr. Anderson was united in marriage to Miss Mary Carlson, a native of Sweden, and they have become parents of eight children: Hilma; Augusta ; Charles, who is now deputy sheriff at Wallula; Wilhelmina ; Ada; Edith; Harry; and Genevieve.
Mr. and Mrs. Anderson are well known residents of Prescott. His political allegiance is given to the republican party and he has served as justice of the peace and as school director, while at the present time he is one of the aldermen
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of the city. His political activity has always been characterized by the utmost devotion to the general good and he has been most true and faithful in his official positions, discharging his duties with marked capability and promptness. More- over, he is a self-made man and one who deserves great credit for what he has accomplished in a business way. He came to the new world empty-handed when a young man of twenty-five, but he possessed the substantial qualities of courage, determination and industry and has utilized these qualities as the basis of his growing success. Undeterred by the obstacles and difficulties in his path, he has steadily worked his way upward and is now one of the prosperous resi- dents of Prescott.
JOHN A. ROSS.
In the death of John A. Ross, Walla Walla county lost a representative agricul- turist, a loyal citizen and a man whose worth in every relation was widely ac- knowledged. He was born in Pennsylvania, July 16, 1860, and was reared and educated in that state. He there remained until 1879, when, at the age of nineteen years, he bade adieu to friends in the east and started for the Pacific coast. On reaching Walla Walla county he here took up his abode and remained a resident of this section until life's labors were ended in death.
It was in the year 1882 that Mr. Ross secured a faithful companion and help- mate for life's journey in his marriage to Miss Florence Cauvel who was also born in Pennsylvania and was a daughter of John and Matilda ( Ketner) Cauvel, who always remained residents of the Keystone state. In their family were fifteen children, of whom eleven are yet living.
Following his marriage Mr. Ross purchased a farm near Pendleton, Oregon, and the family resided upon that place for some time. Eventually, however, he sold that property and removed to Camas prairie, where he again purchased land and followed farming for two years. On the expiration of that period he sold the property and invested in a farm at Sunnyside, where he made his home for five years. Once more he disposed of his property and this time bought a farm near Walla Walla comprising fifty acres, to the further development of which he at once bent his energies, his labors being attended with excellent results. He added many improvements to the place, erected fine buildings thereon and his labors wrought a marked transformation in the property. He was progressive in all that he did, was an energetic farmer and his labors were at all times intelli- gently directed and characterized by sound business judgment.
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