Whitman County WA

Biographical Sketch of Thomas Baker

THOMAS BAKER. – Mr. Baker was born in Bullitt county, Kentucky, in 1832, being the son of George C. and Elizabeth Miller Baker. When he was eighteen months old his parents moved to Hancock county, Illinois. He remained in that country until the spring of 1852, being employed on his father’s farm. In the spring of this year, he started with his older brother across the plains to California, and arrived in the Golden State in August, 1852. For ten years he was actively engaged in mining, and was among the number who made the stampede to the Florence mines … Read more

Biography of Frank L. Moore

The junior member of the prominent law firm of Forney, Smith & Moore, of Moscow, is Frank Latham Moore, who was born in Olmstead County, Minnesota, February 8, 1863, and is of Scotch-Irish ancestry. The family was early founded in Canada, the great-grandfather of our subject being its progenitor there. The grandfather, Chauncy Moore, was born in Canada, and when a young man removed with his family to Rochester, New York, where Reuben Billings Moore, father of our subject, was born in 1826. The grandfather removed from Rochester to Putnam County, Illinois, where he secured land from the government and … Read more

Biography of Daniel G. McKenzie

DANIEL G. McKENZIE. – This is also a pioneer who found all the lands surrounding Pullman, Washington Territory, a sea of bunch-grass. He was born in Illinois in 1842. His father, Henry McKenzie was one of the early settlers of that state, and served in the Black Hawk war, and he came afterwards a pioneer of Iowa, building the town of Winterset. As county commissioner he conceived the idea of building a county-seat, and with the two other commissioners bought one hundred and sixty-acres of land near the center of the county, sold enough lots off from it to pay … Read more

Lee, Harvey – Obituary

Funeral services for Harvey Lee, 75, who died Aug. 30 [1954] at the E. W. Johnson farm home, were held Wednesday at 3:30 p.,. in the Bruning Funeral Home Chapel. Burial was in the Colfax Cemetery. Mr. Lee had lived in the Colfax-Diamond vicinity all his life, and served on the police force and as court bailiff. He was a retired farmer. Surviving are his widow, Gertrude, at Colfax; a son, Burton Lee, Colfax; two daughters, Mrs. Ralph Rose, Pullman and Mrs. Dillard Anderson, San Bernardino, Calif.; a brother, Louis Lee, Colfax.; a brother, Louis Lee, Colfax; and two sisters, … Read more

Hart, Charles Leroy – Obituary

Charles L. Hart, 77, of 6810 South J St., a former McChord Air Force Base employee, died Friday [February 29, 1980]. Born in Colfax, Mr. Hart had resided in Tacoma since 1932. He had been a boiler plant operator at McChord and had been employed at Weyerhaeuser Co. Surviving are a daughter, Mrs. Steve (Michelle) Hull of Gig Harbor; two sons, Duane L. of Grey Eagle, Calif., and James A. of Bend, Ore., a brother, Ira of Santa Rosa, Calif.; five grandsons and five granddaughters. Mountain View Funeral Home is in charge. Tacoma News Tribune, March 1, 1980 Contributed by: … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Thomas H. Kayler

THOMAS H. KAYLER. – Mr. Kayler, a gentleman of wide reputation, was born in Lenox county, Canada, in 1856, and resided on his father’s farm sixteen years, and afterwards learned the drug business at Napanee. In the spring of 1876 he came to California, and made his first location in Sacramento, where he found employment in the drug store of Justice Gates & Co. The following year he removed to Santa Rosa, coming soon afterwards to Portland. The next summer, in company with Peter Graham, he drove with teams to the Palouse country, and located on three hundred and twenty … Read more

Whitman County, Washington Cemetery Records

A complete listing of all available online Whitman County Washington cemeteries, with links to multiple cemetery transcriptions, gravestone photos, tombstone photos, official records, etc.

Biography of John Pattison

JOHN PATTISON. – The subject of this sketch was born in Albany, New York, in 1859, and is the son of John and Elizabeth Pattison. His father was a Union soldier during the war of the Rebellion. He lived at home until he was fourteen years old, being educated in the city public schools. In 1873 he went to Silverton, Colorado, and engaged in mining for six years with varying though reasonable success. he went from there through Arizona and New Mexico, looking for a better mining location, and spending about two years in that country, making money, but at … Read more

Biographical Sketch of E. M. Kinnear

E.M. KINNEAR. – The mercantile house of Mr. Kinnear is one of the largest and most patronized in this part of the territory. Its owner and founder is a native of Ohio, where he was born in 1856. He came to Washington Territory in 1871 and located on the Touchet, engaging in merchandising. From 1878 to 1880 he was in business at Colfax, but removed in the latter year to Sprague for his permanent home. There he has bought quite a property, conducts a large business and is one of its most prominent citizens. He has served as city councilman … Read more

Biography of Frank Johnson

FRANK JOHNSON. – The career of this well-known contractor is a clear case of the promotion of merit. He has acquired an enviable position in the business world from simple integrity and excellence of worth. He was born in Holland in 1844, and came with his widowed mother to New York in 1852. He went soon to Buffalo, and there began to learn the trade of a carpenter and joiner. The war breaking out, and an appeal being made to the patriotic young men of the city, he volunteered as a soldier and served gallantly until the close of the … Read more

Biography of Anderson Cox

ANDERSON COX. – There has never lived a man in the Northwest more worthy of commemoration than that pioneer of 1845, Anderson Cox. He was born near Dayton, Ohio, in 1812, of Quaker parentage, and moved with the family to Indiana in 1830, and claimed a share in the home formed on the Wabash river at Attica. He was married in 1836 to Miss Julia Walter, and in 1840 removed to New London, Iowa. In 1845, with his wife and four children, he made the journey to Oregon, and was in the company of immigrants who endured the privations and … Read more

Biography of Ira Stubblefield

A man of great adaptability, with vigor to carry him through his various undertakings, and wisdom to guide him in the safe path, and, withal, possessed of executive force to manipulate enterprises with success, the subject of this article is a man to whom we gladly accord representation in this volume of Harney county history. He was born in Blanco county, Texas, on April 28, 1866, being the son of W. K. and Eliza (Lumas) Stubblefield. The father of our subject was born in Tennessee, October 30, 1816, and at the age of fourteen went to Bolivar, Missouri, and in … Read more

Conquest of the Coeur d’Alene, Spokane and Palouse

Chief Seltice

The expeditions of Colonels Steptoe and Wright into the country of the Coeur d’Alenes, Spokanes and Palouses were made without the blare of notoriety; they were not heralded by the press in startling headlines; nor were the minutiae of accompanying details flashed momentarily over convenient wires to an expectant nation. In obedience to orders laboriously conveyed to them, the commanders of these expeditions went forward to their duty.

Biographical Sketch of Hon. Alvin T. Ferriss

HON. ALVIN T. FERRISS.- This representative citizen of Eastern Washington was born in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, in 1852, being the son of James R. and Mary Worth Ferriss. He resided at his birthplace until fifteen years old, at that date removing with his parents to Northwest Missouri. In the spring of 1872 he came west to Denver. After a short stay among the Rocky Mountains, engaged in mining and other operations, and at one time as railroad contractor on the Oregon Short Line, he crossed the continent in 1883 to Washington Territory, and, after looking over the country, selected Pullman … Read more

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

Ward, Kenneth Wayne – Obituary

Ken Ward Killed in Car Wreck Enterprise, Oregon Kenneth Wayne Ward, 40, of Pullman, Washington, formerly of Enterprise, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Landy Ward of Enterprise, was killed at 1:50 pm on Saturday, Jan. 25, 1969 in a two car collision of US Highway 195 about seven miles south of Pullman. Kenneth was driving a 1967 Plymouth sedan and was south bound when his car skidded on the icy road and collided with a north bound 1963 Chevrolet pickup truck driven by John George, a professor at WSU, who was accompanied by his wife, Mary Helen. Mrs. George … Read more

Pointer, John William – Obituary

John W. Pointer, aged 79 years and 21 days, died at St. Ignatius Hospital Wednesday morning [June 12, 1912] after several weeks’ illness. Funeral services were held at the Baptist Church, Thursday at 2:30 p.m., Rev., J. H. Bainton preaching the sermon. Burial was in the Colfax Cemetery. For 27 years, Mr. Pointer had been a resident of Whitman County. He was born in Missouri and first located near Winona when he came to this county in 1885. In his long residence in the county he has become well known and leaves many friends. The surviving children are William Pointer … Read more

Biography of William McIlroy

WILLIAM McILROY. – The active and capable gentleman whose name appears above, is one of Union county’s progressive and enterprising stockmen and agriculturists, having wrought here as well as elsewhere with display of ability and sagacity that commend him to all lovers of thrift and industry and which have resulted in the accumulation of a goodly portion of property and the placing of our subject among the most prominent and influential men of this section, while his integrity and uprightness are commensurate with his other characteristics. Iowa City, Iowa, is the birth place of our subject, and July 27, 1861, … Read more

Lee, Nancy Ann Pointer – Obituary

Lee–In Stockton, September 7, 1932, Mrs. Nancy Ann Lee, widow of the late Jay Right Lee, mother of Sarah Anna Thomas of Walla Walla, Wash., Rosalie Shinkosky of Stockton, Ethel Delano of Hooper, Wash., Addie Thomas of Bremerton, Wash., Goldie Nickerson of Stockton, Jessie Day of Sacramento, Manuel Lee of Colfax, Wash., Clarence Lee of Fairfield, Wash., Jay Right Lee, Stockton; sister of William Pointer of Los Angeles, Sarah James of Dayton, Wash., Ossie Pointer of Spokane, Wash.; a native of Walla Walla, Wash., aged 65 years, 8 months, and 29 days. Friends are invited to attend the funeral services … Read more

MacPherson, Alice Marie Ensminger Mrs. – Obituary

Union, Oregon Alice Marie Ensminger Mac-Pherson, 82, of Union died Oct. 15, 2002, at a La Grande care facility after a brief illness. There will be a memorial service in the spring and burial will be in the Union Cemetery at Union. Arrangements are under the direction of Loveland Funeral Chapel 1508 Fourth St., La Grande. Alice was born Feb. 7, 1920, to Herschell R. and Harriett M. Ford Ensminger at Baker City. The family lived at Granite for several years before moving to Pondosa where she attended public school. She was a 1938 graduate of Union High School. In … Read more