California

Biography of Benjamin Brown

BENJAMIN BROWN. – Mr. Brown was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1831, and remained at his native place until 1857, receiving a common-school education. In this year he emigrated to American and settled in Michigan, remaining until March, 1858, when he came to California by way of New York and the Isthmus. From San Francisco he found his way to the Siskiyou mines, and operated until July of 1868, and thence came to the Frazer river mines. In the autumn of that year, he brought his journeyings to a close at Steilacoom, where he remained a year. Being favorably impressed … Read more

Biography of Hugh L. Brown

HUGH L. BROWN. – There is usually something distinctive and characteristic about one who leaves the impress of his name upon any region or locality. This we find to be the case with reference to the pioneer whose name appears above, and for whom was named the well-known city of Brownsville. Hugh Leeper Brown was born in Knox county, Tennessee, January 24, 1810. He lived in Knox county until 1838, when with his little family, then consisting of his wife and three children, he emigrated to Missouri, settling in Platte county. He remained there until the spring of 1846, when … Read more

Biography of Major James Bruce

MAJOR JAMES BRUCE. – Major Bruce is one of our citizens who needs no introduction to the people of the Northwest; since he is known personally, not only to all the old pioneers, but to most of the second generation of the toilers of Oregon. He was born November 3, 1827, in Harrison county, Indiana, and at the age of ten moved with his parents to Quincy, Illinois. At twenty he began a border career, going to Texas, making many excursions in that then unsettled region, and at Cross Timbers joined Major Johnson’s rangers. He accompanied these troopers upon their … Read more

Biography of Robert Bruce

ROBERT BRUCE. – Mr. Bruce was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, August 10, 1828, where he remained until 1844, receiving a common-school education, and learning the trade of gold-beating. In 1844 he went to England, remaining about a year, and moved thence to Canada, locating near Montreal. After remaining there four years, he crossed the plains to California in 1849 on the hunt for gold. The first year as spent in traveling from one mining camp to another until, in 1850, he located at Hangtown, where he engaged in placer mining for seven years. From this point he went to Yreka … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Jeremiah W. Borst

JEREMIAH W. BORST. – The subject of this sketch was born in Tyoga county, New York, in 1829. At the age of four years, he removed with his father’s family to Indiana, and was reared on a farm. The days of his youth were spent in Missouri, with a return to the Hoosier State. In 1850, he crossed the plains with ox-teams for the gold fields of California, and dug for the precious metal five years. In 1858, he came north to Washington Territory, finding a home on Snoqualmie Prairie, since famous as the location of the great ranch of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of John H. Boyce

JOHN H. BOYCE, – The vicissitudes and characteristic frontier life of this redoubtable miner and freighter are not easily expressed in a few sentences. He was born in Vermont in 1832, and in 1850 came around Cape Horn to California. The succession of his labors thereafter is thus stated; In 1851, he mined on the Stanislaus; in 1852 was freighting with a sixteen-mule team from Stockton to various points; in 1860 was hauling quartz in Nevada; in 1862 came to Elk Creek mines, Eastern Oregon; in 1863 was at Bannack, mining and packing; from 1864 to 1869 was engaged as … Read more

Biography of William P. Boyd

WILLIAM P. BOYD. – The subject of this sketch is the senior member of the well-known dry-goods house of W.P. Boyd & Co., of Seattle. Mr. Boyd was born in Belfast, Ireland, April 2, 1849, and is of the hardy Scotch-Irish race that believe in themselves, and through their own exertions have done much towards the building up of the Pacific Northwest. Our subject, when but fifteen years of age, was apprenticed with a large dry-goods, mercantile firm in his native city, and served four years, afterwards being a salesman with the same firm. In the fall of 1869, Mr. … Read more

Biography of Clement Adams Bradbury

CLEMENT ADAMS BRADBURY. – Of all the romantic and adventurous ways in which the early settlers found their way to Oregon, this now venerable pioneer may perhaps claim a manner as exciting as any, – that of a world-wide career on the ocean, and, finally, shipwreck. He was born in York county, Maine, March 18, 1819. As a boy he learned to labor, belonging to one of those hardy New England families whose lot was cast in a forest country, and in hard times. But by this very discipline young Clement acquired strength of body and of mind, independence, self-reliance … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Ross Beardlsey

ROSS BEARDLSEY. – This gentleman, the present mayor of Arlington, Oregon, was born in Cass county, Michigan, July 7,1856, where he received a good common-school education, and followed the occupation of farming, working with his father until 1876, when he crossed the plains to Woodland, California, remaining until 1877 with an uncle, H.P. Merritt. After a year’s residence in this land of gold, he returned to Michigan, where he lived until 1879, making a trip in the meantime to Montana. Soon after his return to Michigan, he was married to Miss Jennie Speese of White Pigeon, in February, 1880. In … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Samuel Benn

SAMUEL BENN. – There is a certain keenness amounting almost to prescience which enables a man to locate a successful town. The laws of a city’s development are so peculiar that few are able to make much of the riddle. Nevertheless some seem to know where to locate a townsite, and where to invest in real estate. It is a business instinct. Mr. Benn is one of these persons. He is the founder of Aberdeen. He was born in New York City, and, as a youth, learned the carpenter’s trade. In 1856 he came to San Francisco, and mined and … Read more

Biography of Sidney S. Benton

SIDNEY S. BENTON. – This pioneer of Illinois, California and Washington is one of those facile, multiplex characters that give to our Western life its buoyancy. He was born in the first-named State in 1838, while Chicago was yet in her swamps, and his father was at that city in 1831, when it was a mere Indian trading post, and also at Galena, the home of the Grants, in 1832. His father came out to California with ox-teams amid Indians, and over the usual sage-brush plains, and the iron-stone rocks in 1849. He mined on Feather river in Yuba county, … Read more

Biography of Hon. John Bird

HON. JOHN BIRD. – This venerable pioneer of our state comes from that stock of state-makers and town-builders who have ever been at the front. He was born in 1810 in Boone county, Kentucky, and lived there with his father until the year 1827, thereafter making Illinois his home until 1847. In the latter year he joined the train of Captain Sawyer, and set forth for Oregon, starting from Missouri about the 1st of May. Upon the trip nothing was more notable than the appearance of about one hundred Pawnee Indians, who laid a blanket on the ground for the … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Arthur M. Blackman

ARTHUR M. BLACKMAN. – This young gentleman, a flourishing grocer of Snohomish, is a native of Penobscot county, Maine, and was born in 1865. While he was but a boy his parents went to Michigan, living at Bay City, and four years later brought him with them to California, making their residence at Oakland, and giving their son the benefit of the excellent educational advantages of that city. In 1885 he began to seek business of his own, and found employment with Blackman Brothers, at Snohomish. He made such good use of his earnings thus acquired as to be able, … Read more

Biography of Hon. Henry Blackman

HON. HENRY BLACKMAN. – Mr. Blackman, as mayor of Heppner, Oregon, occupies a responsible and eminent position. His first election to the office was in 1887, during his absence at Salem, where he was still perfecting the articles of incorporation for the town. He was re-elected in 1888 by a heavy majority (100 to 41), and was re-elected for the third time in 1889 unanimously, there being no opposition. At all times the tickets were nonpolitical, although the mayor is a Democrat. The issue was upon general improvements, and a general policy of progress. The town was laid out upon … Read more

Biography of Hon. Dean Blanchard

HON. DEAN BLANCHARD. – Among those who have manifested great interest in the welfare of the Pacific Northwest as a whole, and Columbia county, Oregon, in particular, the gentleman above named figures conspicuously. He was born in Madison county, Maine, on December 20, 1832, where he resided on his father’s farm until 1853, when he left for California, reaching that state in December of that year. In April 1854, he came to Oregon, and located at St. Helens, having secured a situation as salesman and book-keeper in a store there. In 1855, he went with the command of Major Haller, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Peter Dueber

PETER DUEBER. – The life of Mr. Dueber exemplifies the rewards which our coast and society hold out to the old-fashioned qualities of industry and economy. He was born in Newport, Kentucky, in 1857. At the age of ten years he removed with his parents from Minnesota and crossed the plains with ox-teams to Oregon, arriving in Portland safely the following autumn. He first attended school, and at the age of fourteen qualified himself for a sure livelihood by learning the trade of harness-making. He followed this actively in Portland and San Francisco until 1870, when he found a new … Read more

Biography of James S. Dysart

JAMES S. DYSART. – The subject of this sketch, a portrait of whom is placed in this work, was born in Delaware county, New York, March 22, 1838. His parents were Duncan and Elizabeth (Shaw) Dysart, natives of Scotland. James resided at the place of his birth until he was seventeen years old, when he went via Nicaragua to California to join his brother Alexander, who was living in San Francisco. He reached that city in 1855. His first location was at Placerville, where he engaged in lumbering. That point he made his home till 1862. In that year he … Read more

Biography of William J. Hill

William J. Hill has one of the responsible positions connected with the Santa Fe Railway at Arkansas City. He is master mechanic at that division headquarters and handles the large force of men employed in the immense yards and shops of the railroad at that point. Mr. Hill had been long in the railroad service in the mechanical department, beginning when a boy with the Chicago & Alton in Illinois. He was born at Bloomington, Illinois, August 20, 1863. His father was William Hill, a native of London, England, where he was born in 1834. He spent his early life … Read more

Biography of Hiram Doncaster

HIRAM DONCASTER. – No one seems to operate so much in the capacity of a creator as the shipbuilder. The products of his brain and hand have a life of their own, are given a name, and have their own personality. Shipbuilding on the Sound is, moreover, an important business; and the masters of this craft are men of distinction. One of these is the man whose name appears at the head of this sketch. He was born in Nova Scotia in 1838, and first came to this coast via Panama in the year 1856, mining in Plumas county two … Read more

Biography of George A. Davis

GEORGE A. DAVIS. – This pioneer in the lumber and flouring business of Portland, and indeed of other points throughout the union, is a native of Maine, having been born in Hallowell in 1832. In 1851 he was one of the argonauts, sailing to the Golden state via Nicaragua, and remaining there until 1865 occupied in mining, lumbering and other sorts of business. Returning home in that year, he soon left for Iowa, making his home there for ten years, engaged in stock-raising and farming. He was married there to Miss Hannah C. Dudley. In 1875 he came again to … Read more