Biographical Sketch of George W. Harris

GEORGE W. HARRIS. – This successful business man of Morrow county was born at Pittsfield, Pike county, Illinois, February 18, 1858. During his minor years he followed the fortunes of his parents, who moved to Iowa in 1860, and four years later crossed the plains to California with ox-teams, locating at Red Bluff. In 1865 they came to Oregon and located at Monmouth. From that date many changes and removals were undergone, including a return to California, a residence at Corvallis and again at Eugene; also a trip across the continent to Missouri, Texas and Iowa, and a return to … Read more

Biography of Samuel Hadlock

SAMUEL HADLOCK. – The people of the Pacific coast at present belong to that time in the history of their states and society when they do the things that the after-time lovers to look back upon and scrutinize. They are full of restless energy, and experience all that falls to the lot of man. The old free days, when the country was new and towns were built, will ever be regarded by the populous and crowded future as the golden days of our history, – mixed with severe toil and deprivation alternating with abundance. Samuel Hadlock, who founded Port Hadlock, … Read more

Biography of Archimedes Hanan

ARCHIMEDES HANAN. – This venerable pioneer, whose portrait appears in this work, was born on the 9th of November, 1810, in Harrison county, Kentucky. The early years of his life were truly those of a wanderer. Illinois, Missouri, Iowa and Minnesota reckoned him as a citizen at sundry times and places up to the year 1852. In the spring of that year he started on the long and wearisome journey across the plains. Oregon was his objective point; and after the usual trying though interesting incidents of the immigrants’ career, he stopped at Albany in the fall of 1852. There … Read more

Biography of Charles E. Phillips, M. D.

Charles E. Phillips, M. D. A resident of Kansas since infancy, Doctor Phillips is a highly trained physician and surgeon and since locating at Zenda twelve years ago had built up more than a local reputation in the field of surgery and enjoys a highly successful and profitable practice. Doctor Phillips was born in Knox County, Missouri, August 15, 1877. His father is Mr. P. W. Phillips, now a resident of Pratt County, Kansas. In his experiences as well as his achievements he deserves mention as one of the remarkable men of Kansas. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, … Read more

Biography of Burrell W. Griffin

BURRELL W. GRIFFIN. – Mr. Griffin, who has been long and favorably known throughout the Inland Empire, was born in Missouri in 1840, and since his arrival in Oregon in 1848 has seen as much of our Northwestern life in Indian wars, in the mines, and in our distinctive old-time traveling system by stage, as any one of us. His first residence was in the “Forks” of the Santiam with his father, B.B. Griffin, who moved to the Rogue river valley in 1852, and was a farmer and fancier of horses; who in 1852 was with Captain John F. Miller … Read more

Biography of Robert Orin Deming

Robert Orin Deming, president of The Deming Investment Company at Oswego, is at the head of one of the largest financial institutions in the Southwest. The Deming Investment Company, which has been built up on a basis of fair dealing continued through a period of more than thirty years, now has branch offices in nearly a dozen of the larger cities of the Middle West, and at the present time has over $15,000,000 of farm loans in force, out of some $35,000,000 loaned in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Mississippi. The company has been a bulwark of security for … Read more

Biographical Sketch of J. N. Gilbranson

J.N. GILBRANSON. – There is no European country to which the United States is more in debt than to the Scandinavian peninsula. From there we had Ericsson, whose invention of the Monitor is deemed by many to have turned the tide of war in 1862. From the country of Ericsson we have also many of our best citizens. One of these is Mr. Gilbranson, who was born at Christiana, Norway, in 1834, and came to Chicago in 1854. He resided in Missouri until the war broke out, being actively engaged in his business of contracting and building. Returning to Chicago, … Read more

Biography of Col. Cornelius Gilliam

COL. CORNELIUS GILLIAM. – Colonel Gilliam was a native of North Carolina, and was born in 1798. But his recollection of that state in after years was like a dream; for when but a youth he accompanied his parents to Missouri, where he lived for many years. August 31, 1820, he married Miss Mary Crawford of that state. Ten years later he was elected sheriff of Clay county for a term of two years; and at the expiration of that time he joined the Black Hawk war. In 1837 he served as captain of the company which fought all through … Read more

Biography of Charles T. Bickett

Charles T. Bickett. Well established in business affairs at Coffeyville, with an office for the handling of insurance, collections and also for the discharge of his duties as justice of the peace, Charles T. Bickett has had an unusually wide range of experience and association with Montgomery County, where he has lived since pioneer times. His ancestry goes back to an old English family, and in fact may be traced to that noted scholar and thinker, Thomas a’ Becket, of the fourteenth century. The Bicketts came from England to Virginia in colonial times. From Virginia they spread across the mountains … Read more

Biography of Oliver P. Goodall

OLIVER P. GOODALL. – Mr. Goodall, one of our best men in developing Oregon, was born in Jefferson City, Missouri, August, 1828, and grew up on a farm, securing a common-school education. At the age of eighteen he left school and joined Colonel William Bent, and spent the winter of 1846-47 at Bent’s fort on the Arkansas river, in the capacity of clerk. He there met with continuous adventures, associating with such old mountaineers as Kit and Bob Carson, Bridger, the Calloways, Bill Williams, Dick Dallam, Black Dick Curtis and others; and his recitals of their brave and daring deeds … Read more

Wilder, Emily Ellen Osbon Mrs. – Obituary

Emily Ellen Wilder, 70, of Pendleton and a former Baker City resident, died May 13, 2003, at her home. A funeral service was held Tuesday at 10 a.m. at the First Baptist Church in La Grande. Committal and interment followed at the Island City Cemetery. Arrangements were under the direction of Daniels Chapel of the Valley in La Grande. Mrs. Wilder was born June 20, 1932, to John and Suzy Ellen (Tate) Osbon in Hayti, Mo. She was the youngest of four children. The family traveled throughout the states and settled in Eugene when she was still in school. In … Read more

Biography of Mrs. Rachel Kindred

MRS. RACHEL KINDRED. – The experience of mothers in crossing the plains is one of those historical wonders which will never be forgotten. It adds much to the value of this volume to incorporate within its pages the story of one of these women, and to present her portrait. Miss Rachel Mylar was born in Kentucky in 1821, and is a grand-niece of Daniel Boone. While quite young she removed with her parents to Missouri, and there was married to Mr. B.C. Kindred in 1842. It would quite naturally seem that a mother with a child of a year old … Read more

Biography of A. N. King

A.N. KING. – King’s valley in Benton and Polk counties, and King’s Addition to Portland, which embraces the beautiful city park, will perpetuate the name of the father of our subject and of Mr. King himself. The latter gentleman was born in Ohio in 1822; but as early as 1840 he removed to Missouri, operating a ferry across the Missouri river. A great flood destroyed his property; and in 1845 he was on the plains bound for Oregon. His father, mother, three brothers and five sisters were also in the company. The immigration numbered a hundred wagons; and it was … Read more

Biography of George W. King, M.D.

GEO. W. KING, M.D. – The early life of Doctor King of Pendleton was made dark by the terrible days of the Rebellion; and the recital of his early efforts to work out the distressful circumstances into which he was thus thrown is full of pathetic interest. He was born near Glasgow, Howard county, Missouri, November 14, 1844, and when but a boy of five went with his parents to reside near St. Louis, Missouri, where he lived until the spring of 1854, when his father moved to Kansas Territory, then but a prairie wilderness. He settled on Pottawatomie creek, … Read more

Biography of Hon. R. S. Strahan

HON. R.S. STRAHAN. – Judge Strahan, as a member of the Oregon supreme court, is widely known as being able and upright, and is universally recognized as one of our most popular representatives of the state judiciary. He was born in Kentucky in 1835. During his childhood he removed with his father to the Platte reserve, as the section was then known, in Missouri, and several years later to Mexico in the same state, living on a farm until he reached manhood, and cultivating the use of brain, brawn and nerve, and cherishing a country-boy’s ambition. The strength and hope … Read more

Biography of James L. Story

JAMES L. STORY. – Mr. Story, the present mayor of The Dalles, Oregon, and a lawyer of leading character, is one of the Oregon educated men of whom the state has reason to be proud. He was born in Missouri in 1845, but at the age of eight years came with his parents across the plains to Oregon. The first home was on the Willamette river among the groves of maple and magnificent cottonwood trees where is now situated the little town of Lincoln. In 1854 he removed to McMinnville, and at that place, in 1864,enlisted in the First Oregon … Read more

Biography of William Nelson Johnson, M. D.

William Nelson Johnson, M. D. A physician whose career has been one of devotion to his profession and the interests of his patients in Cherokee County for over twenty years, and whose ability ranks him among the leaders in medical circles in that section, Doctor Johnson is a man who throughout his career has made the best of his resources and in the best sense of the term is a self-made man. He was born on a farm in Franklin County, Missouri, August 29, 1853, and his early youth was spent in the troubled conditions during and subsequent to the … Read more

Biography of James H. Price

James H. Price. The large interests which have engrossed the time and energies of James H. Price have brought him to the very forefront among the business men of Crawford County, and particularly of that part lying adjacent to the City of Pittsburg, with which city he has been prominently identified for the past ten or more years. From the very start of his career, he has been interested, in one or another way, with the mining industry, and today he is known throughout Kansas as an extensive coal operator and contractor. Mr. Price was born in Herefordshire, England, April … Read more

Biography of O. F. Walke

O. F. Walke who has spent most of his life in Kansas has developed a very substantial business career, and for several years has been proprietor of the Independent Laundry, one of the best equipped establishments of its kind in the southern section of the state. He is of Scotch-Irish ancestry, and his great-grandfather came from the North of Ireland, and was an early farmer in Ohio. Mr. Walke’s grandfather, William Walke, was born in Ohio in 1840, came to Kansas about a quarter of a century ago, and was an active farmer until he retired and died at Columbus, … Read more

Biography of Joseph Henry Hoopingarner

Joseph Henry Hoopingarner has for twenty-five years been identified with the Methodist Conference in Kansas, though he has not spent all of that time in the active ministry. He is a large property owner and is now pastor of the leading church at Baxter Springs. He comes of a very interesting family of pioneers in Southeastern Kansas. Rev. Mr. Hoopingarner himself was born in Crawford County, Kansas, April 3, 1871, only a few years after the real settlement of that region began. His ancestry goes back to Wuertemberg, Germany, where his great-grandfather Coonrad Hoopingarner was born. Coonrad and a brother … Read more