History of Steptoe Butte

Steptoe butte

The line of longitude 117 degrees and 8 minutes W. crosses the line of latitude 47 degrees and 2 minutes N. very near the summit of Steptoe butte. It is beautifully and symmetrically proportioned, being cone-like in shape; its north and east faces, however, fall away with greater abruptness than either the south or west elevations, the west being elongated by a ridge sloping from near its mid-side to the general level of its base. The steepness of the north and east sides is such as to render ascent from those directions laborious and difficult, even to the footman. The … Read more

Indian Grievances and Camp Stevens Treaty

Fort Walla Walla in 1857

Long before the Indian buried his tomahawk and ceased to make war upon the white man, the government adopted the policy of inquiring into the causes of his grievances and in cases where such grievances could be conciliated without jeopardizing the interests of the government or of bonafide citizens, that step was usually attempted. In the investigation of these matters it was found that in some instances the difficulty grew out of some act of the government itself, interpreted by the Indians to be detrimental to their interests; in some, from the wanton encroachment of irresponsible citizens; and yet in … Read more

Biography of George D. Shannon

GEORGE D. SHANNON. – This well-known contractor, banker and successful farmer is a man whom Nature fitted with qualities that inevitably guide their possessor to success. He was born in what is now Schuyler county, New York, December 20, 1832, and is the son of Thomas and Mehitable (Corwin) Shannon. At the age of sixteen he entered upon business for himself, and with an abundance of self-reliance began railroading, following that and other employments until 1854. Soon afterwards he came to St. Paul, Minnesota, accepting employment for a large lumber company. In 1858 he was appointed superintendent of construction of … 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

Biography of Hon. Frederick W. Lander

HON. FREDERICK W. LANDER. – This gentleman, who was a civil engineer, first chief justice of the supreme court of Washington Territory, and brigadier-general of United States volunteers, 1861-62, was born at Salem, Massachusetts, December 17, 1822, and received his education at Dummer Academy, Byfield, Vermont, and studied civil engineering at the military academy, Norwich, Vermont. Having practiced for several years his profession in his native state, in 1853 Governor Stevens appointed him estimating engineer on the Northern Pacific Railroad survey. After having crossed the continent, he formed the opinion that the first practical and economical solution of the problem … Read more

Cowles, Ada – Obituary

Baker City, Baker County, Oregon Ada M. Cowles, 83, a former Baker City resident, died January 9, 1999, at St. Louis, Mo. Private vault interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. Mrs. Cowles was born Feb. 13, 1915, at High Valley to Frank Leslie and Elva Virgie Ross Burford. She married Charles C. Cowles in Cove on December 31, 1936, and moved to Baker City in 1949. Mrs. Cowles was a homemaker and had lived in Missouri for the past 15 years. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband and a son. Survivors include her niece, Margaret … Read more

Biography of John W. Waughop, M.D.

JOHN W. WAUGHOP, M.D. – The subject of this sketch was born in Tazewell county, Illinois, October 22, 1839, and is now in his fiftieth year. His early life was that common to boys on a Western farm, working in the summer and going to school in the winter. By the aid of private instruction, he prepared for and entered Eureka College, at Eureka, in his native state. Before the close of his college course, the war of the Rebellion broke out; and those whose memory runs back to that time can never forget the fire of patriotism and enthusiasm … Read more

Our 1938 Mission in Alaska

We have undertaken to establish a mission school among the Arctic Eskimo Indians of Alaska. The location is to be at Point Prince of Wales at Behrings Strait, the westernmost point of the mainland of America and nearest to Asia. Its distance from the North Pole has not yet been ascertained. The inhabitants are described by Capt. Charles H. Stockton, of the United States Navy, as “the boldest and most aggressive people of all the Arctic coast. They are such a turbulent crowd that the whalers are afraid to visit them and consequently give them a wide berth. It is … Read more

Biography of Edward Thomas Young

EDWARD THOMAS YOUNG. – Young’s Hotel, at the capital of Washington Territory, is a conspicuous building, well known to the traveling public and to the members of the legislature, and is the pride of the city. Its proprietor, whose name it bears, is a native of London, England. He was born in 1846. At an early age he crossed the water and lived with his parents at Newcastle, Canada. Subsequently he went to Bruce county, near Lake Huron, where he worked at the carpenter’s trade and general building, and acquired the means to cross the continent. He came with a … 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