Washington

Biography of Michael T. Simmons

MICHAEL T. SIMMONS. – Michael T. Simmons, the leader of an American colony, who established the pioneer American settlement upon the shores of Puget Sound, was born August 5, 1814, in Bullitt County, Kentucky, three miles south of Sheppardsville. In 1840 he removed with his family to Missouri, and located and built a mill on a branch of the Missouri River, which mill he sold to procure his outfit to migrate to Oregon. In 1844 he joined the Independent Oregon Colony, consisting of several separate companies or parties, who joined together in a quasi military organization, and elected Cornelius Gilliam … Read more

Biography of Dr. Alden H. Steele

DR. ALDEN H. STEELE. – “Olympia will always be a place for pleasant homes,” says one of her citizens well qualified to render an opinion, – the gentleman whose name appears above. The wide streets, magnificent shade-trees and comfortable residences of the capital of Washington Territory, together with her delightful climate, an extensive view of water and mountains, fully justify the remark; and no place could have a more pleasant recommendation. The Doctor has also examined the facilities of the place for a naval station, and finds that the location is most desirable from the following particulars: Safe anchorage and … Read more

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

Biography of W. B. D. Newman

W.B.D. NEWMAN. – This well-known pioneer and veteran of the Indian wars comes of primitive stock of old Virginia, where the English family settled on the south bank of the Potomac, and where the father of our subject was born in 1793, and grew up to be a stout defender of the young American republic in the war of 1812. The mother, Matilda Downing, was also of Virginia, having come from that state to Kentucky. William was born in 1827 in the latter state, and two years later accompanied his parents to Ohio. Meeting with the loss of his mother … Read more

Biography of James O’Laughlin

JAMES O’LOUGHLIN. – This gentleman, whose portrait adorns the opposite page, is one of the representative men of Skagit County, Washington. He is a native of Ireland, thus making Skagit, as every county in the United States indebted to the emerald Isle. County Clare was the region of his birth; and the time was April 9, 1844. Before he was three years old, his parents crossed the ocean to this land of liberty, bringing their nine children with the. They located at Lyons, New York, but in 1856 went to Lapeer, Michigan. There the boy James learned the tinsmith’s trade. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Myron W. Packard

MYRON W. PACKARD. – This leading citizen of the lower Sound was born in Madrid, St. Lawrence County, New York, in 1830. At the age of twenty-three he left his native place, where he was in the mercantile business, coming as far west as Illinois, and in the same year journeyed on to River Falls, Wisconsin. That was his home for seventeen years, three of which were spent in the Union army, from which he was mustered out as a quartermaster-sergeant. In 1870 he came to Washington Territory, bringing his wife and family of five children, and located on White … Read more

Biography of David A. Neely

DAVID A. NEELY. – The gentleman who forms the subject of this sketch was born to John and Mary Davis Neely in Murray County, Tennessee, on July 18,1823. In 1824 his parents moved to Carroll County, West Tennessee, and settled on government land. There he lived with his parents, his father following the quiet life of farmer and preacher of the gospel until the commencement of the Rebellion. John Neely raised the first company under the Union flag in West Tennessee. All of his sons, five in number, joined the Union army; and only two sons lived to see peace … Read more

Biographical Sketch of John M. Newman

JOHN M. NEWMAN. – The gentleman whom we here introduce to the reader, and a view of whose residence is placed in this history, is a native of Sullivan County, Missouri, and was born August 10,1851. While but a lad of thirteen he came to eastern Oregon, and, after a sojourn of a year upon the sage-brush plains, continued the march to the Willamette valley. Some years were there spent in Marion and Benton counties, the most interesting period of his life there being his marriage to Miss Isabel Forgey, a noble woman who has borne him eight children. In … Read more

Biographical Sketch of George Murphy

GEORGE MURPHY. – The firm of Murphy & Burns occupies an important place in the business of Sprague, Washington. Their book and stationery business, including also novelties and jewelry, now aggregates some twenty thousand dollars a year and is rapidly increasing. This is a dept for these articles to the Big Bend and Okanagan countries. Mr. Murphy is a native of Ireland, and was born at Limerick. He is a veteran of the United States navy. He came to New York in 1858, and in 1862 joined the United States marine corps, serving under Commander E.Y. McConley for three years … Read more

Biography of David Murray

DAVID MURRAY. – This gentleman is a well-known capitalist. He has retired from active business, and is now reaping the benefits of a life full of even and unceasing hard work. David Murray is a name that every youngster in the Kittitass valley, Washington, is familiar with. It might be well for those very same youths if they had a few of the hardships to go through that Mr. Murray did in his early life. He was born in Maine in 1831, and at the age of twenty left his home to seek his fortunes in the Golden state of … Read more

Biography of F. M. Naught

F.M. NAUGHT. – Mr. Naught, whose life experience contains many incidents of unique interest, was born in Illinois in 1838, and removed as a child to Texas, and in 1846 to Iowa. In 1853 he crossed the plains to Oregon and located in Polk county. Upon the outbreak of the Indian war in 1856, he joined Captain F.M.P. Goff’s Company K, Washington Territory Volunteers, and came east of the cascades. In July of that year, a part of Captain Goff’s company quartered at Fort Henrietta was summoned to the relief of Major Leighton’s command, which was surrounded on the John … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Capt. Henry E. Morgan

CAPT. HENRY E. MORGAN. – This well-known pioneer of 1849 is a native of Groton, Connecticut, and was born October 30, 1825. He moved with his parents to Meriden, in the same state, residing there until April, 1849, when he set forth for California in a bark via Cape Horn, arriving in San Francisco the following September. A short time afterwards he began a sea-faring life, and for fifteen years sailed the ocean. During that time he entered nearly all the noted foreign ports, and later purchased a vessel of his own and followed a coasting trade. In 1858 he … Read more

Biography of Hon. Hiram D. Morgan

HON. HIRAM D. MORGAN. – This gentleman, whose portrait appears in this history, and who is so well known up and down the Sound, has had a varied pioneer life since 1853. He is a native of Ohio, having been born at Mount Ayre in 1822. During his boyhood, his parents moved to Marion and other portions of the state; and in the course of his development he learned the carpenter’s trade, which has ever been a great reliance to him. In 1846 he came out to Oskaloosa, Iowa, and in 1853 became one of the Davis party to cross … Read more

Biography of Paul F. Mohr

PAUL F. MOHR. – Perhaps to no man is Spokane Falls under so deep a debt of gratitude for the early completion of the diverging lines of railroad, tapping the richest parts of the surrounding territory, as she is to Mr. Paul F. Mohr. To this gentleman’s persistent efforts, coupled with a thorough knowledge of his undertaking, is directly attributable the completion, in the year 1886, of the Spokane & Palouse and the Spokane & Idaho Railways, both of which roads will exert a powerful influence on the future of the city. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, June 28, 1849, Mr. … Read more

Biography of Hon. Miles C. Moore

HON. MILES C. MOORE. – The gentleman whose name gives title to this brief memoir was born April 17, 1845, in the little village of Rix Mills, Muskingum County, Ohio, where his well known and widely respected parents resided. When he was twelve years of age, the family removed to Wisconsin, where for six years he attended school at Bronson Institute, a seat of learning conducted under the auspices of the Methodist church. Inspired with a spirit of adventure, through a perusal of the explorations of Bonneville, Frémont and others, and desiring to better his fortune, he resolved to brave … Read more

Biography of Robert Moran

ROBERT MORAN. – Among the many who have risen to prominence in the Pacific Northwest, the Empire state furnishes a considerable proportion, one of the number being the subject of this sketch. He was born in New York City January 26, 1857, and in that metropolis secured his education, and also mastered the trade of a machinist. In 1875 he concluded to come West, and following up the idea found himself in San Francisco in the fall of that year. Not seeing any opening then for a man possessed with no capital but integrity and push, he soon left that … Read more

Biography of Hon. Joseph A. Kuhn

HON. JOSEPH A. KUHN. – Judge Kuhn has long filled a position of such prominence in Washington that the details of his life will be of public interest. His career illustrates once more the fact that the brawn and brain of the East needs but to touch the earth to spring up in double vigor at the West. He is the fourth in a family of six sons, resident in Pennsylvania; and the year of his birth was 1841. His mother belonged to an old American family of large reputation; and his father enjoyed the rank of colonel, and was … Read more

Biography of John O. Rudene

JOHN O. RUDENE. – This owner of a very productive farm two miles from La Conner, Washington, on the Swinomish flat, whose name appears above, is a native of Sweden, having been born there in 1850. At the age of twenty-three he came to America, locating in Iowa, until his removal across the continent to the Pacific coast in 1876. He selected a farm near La Conner, buying one hundred and eighty-one acres, to which he has since added two hundred. This fine body of land he has reclaimed from its original wild growth, and has reduced to cultivation. The … Read more

Biography of Hon. E. L. Smith

HON. E.L. SMITH – Although these sketches deal mainly with men who came hither in the forties and fifties, we are yet occasionally reminded of the fact that length of residence does not constitute the only just claim to recognition in our annals. Every decade has its pioneers. Nearly every year has seen added to our number someone who by force of character, intelligence and industry has made himself a place in the esteem of the people, and in the business fabric of the country. The subject of the present subject was a pioneer of 1861. Though thus not f … Read more

Biography of Hon. L. M. Ringer

HON. L.M. RINGER. – There is moral earnestness about a man who is able to hold his own convictions in the face of his neighbors and friends. We find such a man in Mr. Ringer. Born June 17, 1834, in Washington County, Maryland, he moved as a child to Amherst County, Virginia, there receiving his education, but later making his home in Stoddard  County, Missouri, engaging in the mercantile business. When the war broke out in 1861, that community was strongly for secession. Mr. Ringer was obliged either to enter the rebel army or to leave. He chose the latter … Read more