Oregon City Oregon

Biography of Gen. Morton Mathew McCarver

GEN. MORTON MATHEW McCARVER. THE FOUNDER OF BURLINGTON, IOWA, SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA AND TACOMA, WASHINGTON,- General McCarver was born near Lexington Kentucky, January 14, 1807. Of an independent, roving spirit, determination, courage and enterprise that knew no bounds, he quit his home at the age of eighteen years and went to Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, and not finding anything congenial to his tastes returned and settled in 1830 at Galena, Illinois, where he was married to a Miss Mary Ann Jennings. He served in the Black Hawk war, and after the surrender of the great chief of the Sacs and Foxes, … Read more

Biography of Ephraim W. Baughman

Few men are more widely known in the northwest than Captain E. W. Baughman, of Lewiston, who for forty-eight years has sailed on the rivers in this section of the country. His circle of friends is indeed extensive, and his genial manner and social disposition win him the regard of all. He was born in Fulton County, Illinois, May 18, 1835, and is of German lineage, his ancestors having long been residents of Pennsylvania, however. His father, John Baughman, was born in that state and married Miss Jane Murphy, a lady of German descent. In an early day they removed … Read more

Biography of Rev. Gustavus Hines

REV. GUSTAVUS HINES. – Gustavus Hines was born in Herkimer county, New York, in 1809. On his mother’s side he was descended from the Carvets and Wilkensons of the old Massachusetts colony, and on his father’s from the Hopkinns of Rhode Island, all names of the highest respectability and even celebrity in the early history of New England. Governor Carvet of Massachusetts colony, and Stephen Hopkinns, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, were of the same families. he grew to his majority in the county of his birth, and in 1832 removed to Cattaraugus county, in the … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. Martha H. Barlow

MRS. MARTHA H. BARLOW, wife of the foregoing, was born September 2, 1822, at the historic site of Spottsylvania, Virginia. In 1836, she accompanied her father, Elijah Portlaw, to Tennessee, and in 1840 was married to Doctor William E. Allen, of Palmyra, Missouri. In 1850 she crossed the plains with her husband bringing a family of two children, and endured great toils and dangers on account of the prevalence of cholera, and the necessary pre-occupation of her husband in administering to the sock. Except for this she would have much enjoyed the trip. With her husband she made the first … Read more

Biography of William C. Noon

William C. Noon was born in Leicester, England, in 1835. At the age of nine years he came with his parents to America, settling in Andover, Massachusetts, where his father found employment at his trade in a woolen mill. He received the benefits of a common school education until thirteen years old when he began to work in a woolen mill at Andover. He was employed for several years thereafter in similar mills at Lawrence and Worcester, Massachusetts, and for some three or four years in the State of Maine. During this period he acquired a very thorough knowledge of … Read more

Biography of Hon. James Kerr Kelly

HON. JAMES KERR KELLY. – Among the men of distinction in our state, none have held a position of eminence for a longer time than Senator Kelly. It requires stamina to stand for thirty years upon “the hard and wintry peaks of fame.” We are the more assured of eminent qualities of the Colonel when we consider that he came to this coast and started upon bed-rock. Family ties, name, favoritism, may elevate men of no ability to high positions in older communities; but in the Oregon of an early day artificial conditions did not exist. A man came near … Read more

Stevens, Jeffery Max – Obituary

Union County, Oregon Obituary La Grande, Oregon Jeffery Max Stevens, 39, formerly of La Grande, died March 10 after battling cancer. There will be a private family memorial service in Canby. Arrangements are under the direction of Loveland Funeral Chapel. Jeffery was born Aug. 22, 1967, to Arthur and Shirley (Shelly) Stevens in Oregon City, where he graduated from high school. He never married and was a painter by trade. He enjoyed spending time with his children, taking trips to the Wildhorse Casino in Pendleton, bowling and working in his yard. Survivors include his children, Jessy Stevens of Milwaukie and … Read more

Kasinger, Lyman Roy – Obituary

Imbler, Union County, Oregon Local Resident Hears of Brother’s Death Mrs. Keith Glenn received word that her brother, Lyman Roy Kasinger died Sunday of a heart attack at his home in Oregon City. He had been a resident of Imbler and La Grande several years ago, and was the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Tom Kasinger. Survivors include a daughter, Gertrude Persyn of Oregon City, and two [*] grandchildren; one brother Jack T. Kasinger, San Bruno, Calif.; sisters Lillie Fehr, Woodland, Wash.; Floy Davis, San Francisco, Calif., Hattie Bell, Hood River, Bessie Ruckman, Oakland, Calif., Hester Glenn, Summerville, … Read more

Biography of Hon. B. F. Burch

HON. B.F. BURCH. – B.F. Burch was born on the second day of May, 1825, in Chariton county, Missouri, where he lived during the first twenty years of his life, and received what was then considered a good, common-school education. It was complete enough to secure him the position of teacher for the families of Honorable Jesse Applegate and neighbors the first winter after his arrival here, – 1845-46. He also taught the first school in what is now known Polk county. In 1846, in company with Jesse Applegate, Lindsey Applegate, David Goff, William J.G. Parker, William Spotsman, John Jones, … Read more

Smith, Willard Hoffman – Obituary

Willard Hoffman Smith, 83, a former Sumpter resident, died May 26, 2005, at the Idaho State Veterans Home in Boise. There will be a memorial service for him at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Idaho State Veterans Home. There will be a second memorial service at 2 p.m. Saturday at the McEwen Church near Sumpter. Friends are invited to join the family for a potluck dinner afterward. Willard was born on July 27, 1921, at Leland, Idaho. He moved with his family to Nyssa where his parents farmed. He was a Nyssa High School graduate and married his high school … Read more

Biography of Joseph Buchtel

JOSEPH BUCHTEL. – The peculiar composition and make-up of this man is that of only one in a million. He is noted for his daring deeds of adventure, if they may be so called; and his whole life is made up of daily events in rescuing others from their perilous positions; indeed, so much so that he is known far and wide as the “Oregon Life Saver.” Hundreds, if we may not say thousands, who are living to-day directly owe their lives to him. The natural daily routine of circumstances seems to have brought him upon the scene just in … Read more

Biography of Mrs. C. B. Cary

MRS. C.B. CARY. – This refined woman and intelligent lady, one of our earliest pioneers, comes of one of the old Virginia families of English or Cavalier origin; whose members, in the early days of the Old Dominion, took and held an advanced social position. She was born at Richmond in 1815, and at the age of four moved to Kentucky with her father, William Taylor. In 1831 she was married to Miles S. Cary, one of the pioneer sons of Kentucky, with his full share of southern chivalrousness and western energy. In 1835 they moved to Missouri, and were … Read more

Biography of Rev. Elkenah Walker

REV. ELKANAH WALKER. – Rev. E. Walker was born at North Yarmouth, Maine, August 7, 1805, and was the son of a farmer. He was brought up in his native place. He was converted when about twenty-six years old, and soon afterwards began to study for the ministry. He took an academic course, but did not go to college, a fact which he afterwards regretted. he entered Bangor Theological Seminary, Maine, in 1834, and graduated in 1837. Having given himself to the foreign missionary work, he was appointed by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions to South Africa, … Read more

French-Laird, Hester M. Holden Mrs. – Obituary

Hester M. French-Laird, 87, of Oregon City, a former Baker City resident, died March 5, 2006. Her funeral Mass will be celebrated at 2 p.m. Thursday at St. Luke’s Catholic Church at Woodburn. Interment will be at Lincoln Memorial Park Cemetery in Portland. Visitations will be until 5 o’clock tonight at Cornwell Colonial Chapel in Woodburn. Hester was born on Jan. 22, 1919, at Baker City to Ward and Gwendolyn Holden. She was raised at Baker City and married John “Jack” French in 1938. He died in 1979. In 1995, she married Richard Laird. She lived at Woodburn from 1981 … Read more

Biography of George Benson Kuykendall, M.D.

GEORGE BENSON KUYKENDALL, M.D. – This gentleman, one of the foremost physicians of Eastern Washington, was born near Terre Haute, Indiana, in the year 1843. When three years old he was taken by his father’s family to Wisconsin. In 1852 the family set out on the long, hard journey to the Pacific slope. That was the sad year of cholera and pestilence. Being somewhat late in starting, the Kuykendall family followed in the wake of sickness and death, the mournful evidences of which were most vividly impressed on the mind of the boy who afterwards became the man here described. … Read more

Biography of E. D. Stillman

E.D. STILLMAN. – Mr. Stillman was born in New York in 1828, and learned the trade of a mechanic and machinist. In 1849 he crossed the plains to Oregon in the capacity of wheelwright for the regiment of mounted riflemen who were sent here on the strength of Joe Meek’s urgent representations at Washington, and for the protection of the settlers of this little-cared for wilderness on the Pacific. He well remembers an exciting incident near Green river. The command was there met by one Baptiste, who bore messages from Governor Joe Lane. This Baptiste proved to be a desperado, … Read more

Biography of Hon. Albert Briggs

HON. ALBERT BRIGGS. – Ever green in the memory of the pioneer of the Pacific coast remain the trials and hardships they endured while establishing civilization in the far west. These pioneers, constituted no ordinary class; they were hardy, brave and energetic men; and thousands to-day are reaping the benefits which have accrued from the trials and hardships endured by the early pioneer. None among them deserve more tribute than the subject of this sketch, an excellent portrait of whom is placed in this history, from a photograph taken when he was in his seventy-fifth year. Mr. Briggs was born … Read more

Diehl, Marilyn Marie Bond Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Baker County, Oregon Marilyn Marie Diehl, 66, of Pendleton, a former Baker City resident, died Dec. 31, 2005, at Willowbrook Terrace in Pendleton. Her funeral will be scheduled later in Baker City. Disposition was by cremation. Mrs. Diehl was born on June 10, 1939, at Baker City to John and Vera Speelman Bond. She attended Baker High School and was a graduate of Eastern Oregon State College at La Grande (now Eastern Oregon University). She was an elementary school teacher at Union and Oregon City. Her hobbies included music, drawing and arts and crafts. She was a member … Read more

Wright, David Nixon “Cruiser” – Obituary

David Nixon “Cruiser” Wright, 69, a former Baker City resident, died Feb. 28, 2006. There was a gathering of family and friends Saturday at Golden’s Funeral Home in Salem. Dave was born on May 20, 1936, at Oregon City to LeRoy and Helena Wright. His parents spent most of their adult lives in Baker City. LeRoy was an Extension agent and Helena was a Baker teacher. Dave was a 1954 Baker High School graduate. He spent his career in banking and the automobile industries. He was an avid golfer and spent many enjoyable hours with his family and friends on … Read more

Biography of James Duval Holman

James Duval Holman was born in August 18, 1814, on his father’s farm in Woodford county, Kentucky. He was of the Holman family so well known in the Southern and Middle States. His mother was a Duval of Hugenot descent, a family of equal position with the Holmans in the south. Of Mr. Holman’s great-grand parents, three came from Virginia and one from North Carolina. His parents were John and Betsy L. Holman, who were married in October, 1810. In 1817 they moved to Tennessee, where they resided for nine years, when they moved to Clay county, Missouri. His mother … Read more