History of the Pacific Northwest Oregon and Washington 1889

History of the Pacific Northwest Oregon and Washington. 2 v. Portland, Oregon: North Pacific History Company. 1889.

Biography of A. Lawrence Lovejoy

A. LAWRENCE LOVEJOY. – The subject of this memoir was born in Groton, Massachusetts, March 14, 1808, and was the third son of Doctor Samuel and Betsey Lawrence Lovejoy, descendants of good English families. His mother, Betsey Lawrence Lovejoy, was a cousin and adopted sister of Amos and Abbot Lawrence of Boston. When quite young he moved with his parents to Townson, Massachusetts, where he was a pupil of the Reverend David Palmer until the age of sixteen, when the death of his mother made it necessary for him to reside with an elder brother in Boston, where he engaged … Read more

Biography of A. H. Reynolds

A.H. REYNOLDS. – This pioneer of Walla Walla, Washington, is a bank director, a large real-estate owner, and has been active in many of the early enterprises, not only of that city, but of Oregon and California. He was born in 1808, in St. Lawrence county, New York; and his memories of early life are deeply tinged with the exciting events of the war of 1812, in which his parents had an active part. Receiving the rigid and economical training of the old times, he added to his education by efforts of his own, and qualified himself for active life … Read more

Biography of A. H. Chambers

A.H. CHAMBERS. – This wealthy and influential resident of Olympia is a native of Washington Territory, and a son of one of the earliest pioneers, his parents having crossed the plains to Oregon in 1844. Andsworth was born near Olympia, at Chambers Prairie, June 25, 1851. He began his career at the early age of twelve as a herder of stock, and continued in this business until nineteen years of age, acquiring thereby a knowledge of life and of practical affairs which has been of great value. At the above age, in partnership with his father, he successfully established a … Read more

Biography of A. C. Campbell

A.C. CAMPBELL. – The respect Mr. Campbell commands in his community as a man of honesty and integrity, and as one who has acquired a very enviable competency by hard knocks and straightforward dealings, reminds one of Longfellow’s famous blacksmith; but, although Mr. Campbell has for years upon years listened to the “measured beat and slow’ of his hammer on the anvil, he no longer appears with leathern apron and bare, brown arms, because he is now settled down in a comfortable home, and in the midst of his loving family living happily by other and less arduous pursuits than … Read more

Biography of A. B. Rabbeson

A.B. RABBESON. – Mr. Rabbeson, who observes that “he was born of rich but honest parents” at New York in 1824, was devoted from his youth to the most interesting and desperate adventures. Nevertheless, he was always delivered from his perils just at the right time, and lives to-day in hale age at Olympia. His boyish adventures began not many years after the death of his father in 1833. His step-father he did not like, and consequently left home. We find him out in Canada, soon at New York City with his grandparents and attending school, but within a few … Read more

Biography of A. B. Gleason

A.B. GLEASON. – This gentleman is the son of Parsons Gleason, and is now one of the active business men of the state. He was born May 22, 1829, in Ripley county, Indiana. In 1849 he entered upon life as boatman on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, and in 1851 came with his father to the Pacific coast. The trip through Illinois and Missouri he made by himself with ox-teams, while the rest of the family performed this portion of the journey by water. With a train of twelve wagons, and numbering among their companions Mr. Clinton ad Reverend Mr. … Read more

Biography of George W. Goodwin

GEORGE W. GOODWIN. – Mr. Goodwin enjoys the no slight distinction of having been the first settler of the now populous Yakima valley, and also has the great credit of still leading in its business and political affairs, and is one of those who gives tone and trend to popular ideas in the community. He was born in Illinois in 1846, and is the second son of Lewis H. and Priscilla Thompson Goodwin. His early years in that state were spent in an abundance of work on the farm in the summers, and in winter by obtaining his education at … Read more

Biographies of the Pacific Northwest

McLaughlin - First Woman to Oregon

This collection details 671 biographies of the Pacific Northwest: Early leading citizens of Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington are all encompassed by this manuscript. Many of the people traveled to the area via the large and small wagon trains. Some came for gold, some for land, some for opportunity… whatever their reason, they settled in the area claimed by many Native American tribes, and their lives are often woven into the lives of the tribes of the area.

Biographical Sketch of William T. Wright

WM. T. WRIGHT. – Mr. Wright, who has demonstrated the practicability of fruit culture in the Umatilla country, was born in Massachusetts in 1830. His father was a molder and worker in iron furnaces, and in 1840 moved to Ohio, where Mr. Wright as a boy received a common-school education, and remained with his parents until of age, when he engaged in stock-dealing on his own account. In 1853 he came to California, mining, gardening, speculating and stock-dealing. In 1859 he returned to Ohio and engaged in the oil-well region at Mecca and in Pennsylvania. Ten years later he went … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William R. Boothe

WILLIAM R. BOOTHE. – This gentleman, a conspicuous figure in Eastern Oregon, was born in Missouri in 1846. He was raised on a farm, and received a fair education. At the age of eighteen, he crossed the plains to Grande Ronde valley with his father, the Reverend L.J. Boothe. For three years after his arrival, he was engaged in freighting. In 1868, he purchased a homestead right in The Cove and engaged in stock raising and farming, where he still resides and now owns nine hundred and twenty acres of land, of which three hundred and sixty are in one … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William Pentland

WILLIAM PENTLAND. – This town-builder and founder of Lexington was born December 26, 1825, in Fleming county, Kentucky, and removed with his parents in 1831 to Platt county, Missouri, and three years later made a new location in Buchanan county. He was there engaged in agriculture. In 1847 he made the great journey with ox-teams across the plains to Oregon, and located near the present site of Corvallis. He remained with his people in that neighborhood until 1867, receiving a good, practical education during his early days at the common schools of Corvallis. he was married in 1860 to Miss … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William M. Urquhart

WILLIAM M. URQUHART.- This gentleman, the son of James Urquhart, whose biography is immediately preceding, was born at the family residence near Napavine, Washington Territory, on the 22d of December, 1855. He remained on the farm till he had attained his majority. He then entered his father’s tore at Napavine, where he attended strictly to business and became thoroughly acquainted with trade, remaining there until 1880. In that year he removed to Chehalis, and began merchandising for himself. In this independent venture he was eminently successful, and had one of the largest mercantile houses in Lewis county. The confidence reposed … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William M. Blakeley

WILLIAM M. BLAKELEY. – The subject of this sketch, a prominent citizen of the rapidly developing upper country, was born in Missouri in 1840. In 1846 he crossed the plains with his father, who located near the present site of Brownsville, Linn county, Oregon, where he still resides. Mr. Blakely was here favored with the educational advantages afforded by the public school, and assisted his father on the farm until 1860, when he moved to a point near the present site of Prescott, on the lovely Touchet river, in Washington Territory. In the spring of 1861 he tried his fortune … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William E. Rinehart

WM. E. RINEHART. – Mr. Rinehart was born in Iowa in 1846 on his father’s farm. In 1854 the parents crossed the plains to Oregon, and made a home in Lane county, suffering only the usual hardships incident to such a journey, and the deprivations of a new country. The old Donation claim lies ten miles south of Eugene City. There William remained with his parents until 1864, in that year joining his brother James H. as drover of a band of cattle, coming as far as his present abode in the Grande Ronde valley. There he invested in company … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William A. Wetzell

WILLIAM A. WETZELL. – The gentleman of whom we write was born in Washington, Virginia, on October 3, 1852. His parents are Jefferson and Catherine Wetzell, of good old Virginia stock. He lived with his parents in Virginia until 1861, when they moved to Farmer City, where William A. attended the public schools. At the early age of seventeen years he began teaching in the same. In 1876 he was admitted to the Illinois Wesleyan University, where he took an eclectic course, and was regarded as one of the brightest and most promising students of that institution. After finishing the … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Wilhelm Otto Roesch

WILHELM OTTO ROESCH. – The brewery of Pendleton, Oregon, is operated by Mr. Roesch, a man who has had long experience in all the processes of manufacturing the beverage. Born in Germany in 1855, he came to America in1870, working in a brewery. He followed the same business in San Francisco in 1874; at Steilacoom in 1886; at Portland until 1888. At Port Townsend he built a brewery for himself, running it two years. At Heppner, in 1880, he operated his own brewery one year. In 1882 he returned to Germany, marrying Miss Anna Rapps. Returning to Oregon, he is … Read more

Biographical Sketch of W. J. Leezer

W. J. LEEZER. – Mr. Leezer, one of the most active of all ourcitizens, was born March 21, 1846, at Rushville, Illinois, where he received a common-school education and learned the tinner’s trade. In 1870 he crossed the plains, locating at Umatilla Landing, and working for his brother, J.M. Leezer, who was then doing a tin and hardware business at that point. A year later he bought the establishment and conducted the business for himself, until in 1880 he closed out his interests there and moved to Heppner, Oregon, where he has established and carries on successfully a mercantile business … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Ulmer Stinson

ULMER STINSON. – Mr. Stinson is among the most successful of the lumbermen of the Snohomish, and like the most of his compeers in this business is a native of Maine, having been born in Kennebec County in 1836. He lived, was educated and gained his business head in his native town, leaving it only at the age of twenty-seven. From his youth he was a lumberman and logger. But in 1863 he determined to try business upon a somewhat larger scale, and selected this coast as his field. He mined a year in Nevada county, California, but tiring of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Thomas Wade

THOMAS WADE. – Mr. Wade was born in Virginia in 1837, and is the eldest of the three brothers, mention of whom is made herein. In 1853 he emigrated to Wayne county, Iowa, where he engaged in farming, and so continued until 1862, when he crossed the plains and located in the Grande Ronde valley on his present homestead. There he commenced with a capital stock of about two dollars and fifty cents to assist in developing that portion of our glorious Northwest, substituting on game and some flour from the Willamette valley. The next spring he paid fifteen cents … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Thomas M. Alvord

THOS. M. ALVORD. – Mr. Alvord was born in Homer, Courtland county, New York, February 26, 1832, and is the son of Sylvester and Lucy Hull Alvord. His grandfather was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, serving under General Washington, and took up a Donation claim on the present site of Homer, New York. His father was born on the place, and died in 1864. He resided at his birthplace until 1853, when with his brother, Henry S., he left New York on board the Prometheus, via Nicaragua, and on the Pacific side took the Cortez, arriving in San Francisco … Read more