This well known and enterprising stockman has been a man of frontier life, spending his days since a lad in the various pursuits incident to pioneering, and especially has he been occupied in raising and handling stick, being one of the best posted and most skillful stock men in this County of stock men, and abundant success has been his since he has inaugurated action for himself.
Mr. Ford was born in Arkansas, October 15, 1856, being the son of William Ford. His mother died when he was an infant and he was taken by his father to Tennessee and when the war broke out, the father sent this son to friends in Illinois and joined the ranks to fight for the Union. At the close of the war the father died and our subject was left an orphan. He was filled with determination and courage and soon we find him in Texas, riding the range and becoming familiar with the hardships of the cowboy and all the lore of handling and breeding cattle successfully. He worked for the noted Chisum Company and made several drives from Texas and Mexico to the north. It was 1879 when he came to this country. He was engaged first with Ryan & Lang. driving cattle for three years to Montana after which he made a drive for Mayberry from The Dalles to Wyoming. He next operated for Con Shea, being Fireman for him for three years and then he retired from riding the range and went into business for himself. He now has a fine ranch of five hundred and sixty acres of fertile land on Sucker creek six miles west from Rockville. He has good buildings; the estate well improved raises hay, grain and alfalfa, and also has a fine herd of Hereford and Shorthorn cattle. Being an experienced stockman, Mr. Ford understands the value of raising the best and doing so in a skillful manner.
On November 25, 1888, Mr. Ford married Miss Fannie, daughter of Charles and Mary (Wilson) Smith, who, are mentioned in this volume. Mrs. Ford is a native of Salem, Oregon, and she is a woman of many virtues and graces and presides over the comfortable rural home with becoming dignity, while this worthy couple are valuable members of society, being esteemed by all.