Ohio

Biography of Richard Z. Johnson

Perhaps there is no part of this history of more general interest than the record of the bar. It is well known that the peace, prosperity and well-being of every community depend upon the wise interpretation of the laws, as well as upon their judicious framing, and there-fore the records of the various persons who have at various times made up the bar will form an important part of this work. A well known jurist of Illinois said, “In the American state the great and good lawyer must always be prominent, for he is one of the forces that move … Read more

Biography of Joseph W. Huston

The history of a state as well as that of a nation is chiefly a chronicle of the lives and deeds of those who have conferred honor and dignity upon society. The world judges the character of a community by those of its representative citizens, and yields its tributes of admiration and respect for the genius or learning or virtues of those whose works and actions constitute the record of a state’s prosperity and pride. Among the distinguished citizens of Idaho is Judge Joseph Waldo Huston, of Boise, who holds distinctive precedence as an eminent lawyer and jurist, as a … Read more

Biography of David C. Chase

David C. Chase, the secretary and treasurer of the great Payette Valley Mercantile Company, Limited, doing business in Payette, Idaho, is a native of Ohio, his birth having occurred in Johnsonville, Trumbull County, on the 26th of April 1853. He traces his descent from English ancestors who were early settlers of Connecticut, and participated in many of the leading events which go to make up the history of that state. His father, David Chase, was a New England farmer, and died when his son and namesake was only a small boy. The latter was educated in the public schools of … Read more

Biography of Benjamin A. Jenne

Character and ability will come to the front anywhere. As boy and man, many a man has been buffeted by fortune and had almost insurmountable obstacles thrust in his path, but per-severance has cleared them away and he has gone on to success. Such has been the experience of the subject of this sketch, one of the rising and popular citizens and public men of Bingham County, Idaho, a man with a heart for any venture, and a smile for friend and foe. Benjamin P. Jenne, deputy sheriff and jailer of Bingham County, Idaho, was born at Poor Man’s Gulch, … Read more

Biography of Garner Miner

For thirty-eight years Garner Miner has been a resident of Idaho, having come to the territory in 1861, when the development of this great northwest was in its incipiency and the frontiersmen had to meet many privations and dangers. The Indians were frequently on the warpath, carrying death and devastation wherever they went; and separated from the base of sup-plies, from the comforts and luxuries of the east the pioneers endured hardships undreamed of by the present generation. In those days brave hearts were necessary, indeed, but the same spirit of Anglo-Saxon daring, fortitude and stability, which, has characterized the … Read more

Biography of Horatio W. Gates

Horatio W. Gates is one of the oldest and best known undertakers and embalmers in the State of Kansas. He had been in business for many years at Rossdale, his present location being 29 Southwest Boulevard. He had not been alone in that profession, and it is noteworthy that Mrs. Gates was the first woman to receive an embalmer’s license in either Kansas or Missouri, and while many women have in recent years taken up the profession she was one of the real pioneers. Mr. Gates was born August 2, 1849, at Mansfield, Ohio, but had been a resident of … Read more

Biography of William J. Turner

The first resident of Mountain Home was William J. Turner, and since the time of his arrival here his history has been inseparably interwoven with that of the town. He is now its postmaster and proprietor of its leading hotel, and from the beginning he has been most active and earnest in promoting and aiding its upbuilding and improvement. A native of the Buckeye state, Mr. Turner was born March 17, 1854, and is of English and Irish descent, his ancestors having been early settlers of Maryland and Virginia, where they located in colonial days. They were prominently associated with … Read more

Biography of George M. Parsons

Professional advancement in the law is proverbially slow. The first element of success is, perhaps, a persistency of purpose and effort as enduring as the force of gravity. But, as in every other calling, aptitude, character and individuality are the qualities which differentiate the usual from the unusual; the vocation from the career of the lawyer. Less than fifteen years ago George Matthias Parsons was admitted to the bar, and within that time has gained an eminence for which older practitioners have striven a life time. He was born in Cambridge City, Indiana, on the 15th of January 1850, and … Read more

Biography of James A. Pinney

The enterprise of our American citizens has given the nation a position among the powers of the world that it has taken other countries many centuries to gain. The progressive spirit of the times is manifest throughout the length and breadth of the land, yet even to our own people the growth and development of the west seems almost incredible. Less than half a century ago Idaho, California, Montana, Oregon and other western states were wild and almost unpeopled regions, without the railroad or other transportation facilities, without the telegraph or the varied commercial and industrial industries of the east. … Read more

Biography of John M. Silcott

Almost forty years have passed since John M. Silcott took up his residence in Idaho, and he is therefore one of the oldest and most widely known pioneers of the state. He came in the spring of 1860 to establish the government Indian agency at Lapwai, and has since been identified with the growth and development of this section. He is a Virginian, his birth having occurred in Loudoun County, of the Old Dominion, January 14, 1824. His French and Scotch ancestors were early settlers there, and during the Revolution and the war of 18 12 representatives of the family … Read more

Biography of Thomas Davis

The founders of a state are not merely the men who handle the reins of government and control the public policy, but are also those who carry civilization into hitherto wild regions and develop the natural resources of the state: Such an one is Mr. Davis, who came to Idaho in pioneer days and was the first to establish the fact that this is an excellent fruit-producing region. Thus he introduced a new industry and thereby largely promoted the material welfare of the region. His business interests have ever been energetically and successfully managed and his reputation in commercial circles … Read more

Biography of Presley M. Bruner

A prominent practitioner at the bar of Hailey, and ex-district attorney of Alturas (now Blaine) County, Idaho, Presley Morris Bruner, was born in Chillicothe, Ohio. September 15, 1850. On the paternal side is of German lineage, and on the maternal of Scotch descent. His father, J. A. Bruner, was born in Virginia, a representative of one of the old and prominent families of that state, living in the Blue mountain region. He married Miss Margaret Morris, a daughter of Judge Presley Morris, of Chillicothe, Ohio. Her father was a descendant of the McDonald clan of the highlands of Scotland, and … Read more

Biography of Trowbridge C. Egleston

Occupying a prominent position among the leading businessmen of Caldwell, Idaho, we find the subject of this biography, Trowbridge C. Egleston, wholesale and retail dealer in hardware, stoves, tinware, groceries, provisions, wagons and farm machinery. The business of which Mr. Egleston is the head was established in 1884 by Frank R. Coffin & Brother. In 1892 Mr. Egleston purchased the store and has since been at the head of its management, doing a prosperous business. He occupies a brick building, forty by one hundred and twenty-five feet in dimensions, with basement, and also has two large storehouses, in which his … Read more

Biography of Hon. James G. Watts

Among the practitioners of the bar of Silver City, Idaho, is James G. Watts, who is also a distinguished member of the state senate. Pennsylvania is the state of his nativity, his birth having occurred in the town of Wellsboro, July 23, 1858. His father, Daniel Watts, was a native of England, and on crossing the Atlantic to America took up his residence in New York, whence he afterward removed to the Keystone state. There he was married to Miss Harriet Goodrich, a native of Tioga county, Pennsylvania, and a representative of an old Puritan family. During the civil war … Read more

Biography of J. J. Plumer, M. D.

Dr. J. J. Plumer, the physician and surgeon of the De Lamar Mining Company, also engaged in general practice in De Lamar, is a native of Missouri, his birth having occurred in Edina, April 8, 1860. He traces his ancestry back to England, whence in the year 1832 members of the family who belonged to the sect of Puritans crossed the Atlantic to America. They braved the dangers so common to ocean voyages in those days in order to have liberty of conscience in the New World, and they and their descendants were connected with the early history of the … Read more

Biography of Jonas W. Brown

Jonas W. Brown, of Boise, is an honored pioneer both of California and of Idaho. He crossed the plains with ox teams to Shasta county, California, in 1853, and since that time his life record has been inseparably interwoven with the history of this section of the country. At all times he has been the advocate of those measures tending to-ward the advancement and development of the region, and his influence is that of an honorable, upright man, whose force of character stamps itself indelibly for good upon the public life. This work would be incomplete without mention of Jonas … Read more

Biography of William N. Nichols

Among the earnest men whose depths of character and strict adherence to principle excite the admiration of his contemporaries, Mr. Nichols is prominent. He is now the esteemed and capable chairman of the Owyhee county board of commissioners and resides at Silver City. At present he is connected with various mining and business interests and is the possessor of an ample fortune; but the time was when his means were very limited, and to his own well directed efforts his success is attributable. Mr. Nichols was born in Shelby County, Ohio, on the 9th of May 1853, and is of … Read more

Biography of Francis E. Ensign

Holding marked prestige among the prominent members of the Idaho bar is Francis Edward Ensign, who is now engaged in the practice of the legal profession in Hailey. There are few-men whose lives are crowned with the honor and respect which is uniformly accorded him; but through forty-five years” connection with the west his has been an unblemished career. With him success in life has been reached by sterling qualities of mind and a heart true to every manly principle. In his varied business interests his reputation has been unassailable and in offices of public trust he has displayed a … Read more

Biography of David T. Miller

In both the military and political service of his country David Truxton Miller has won distinction by his loyalty to the public good, his fidelity to the trust reposed in him. On southern battle-fields he has followed the stars and stripes to victory, and in the civic department of the nation’s service he has labored to promote the principles which underlie good government and form the foundation upon which all stable prosperity must rest. He has inscribed his name high on the roll of Boise’s distinguished citizens, and is now serving as deputy collector of internal revenue there. Born in … Read more

Biography of Milton Kelly

Judge Milton Kelly, now deceased, who attained considerable prominence as one of Idaho’s most loyal citizens and public-spirited men, was born in Onondaga County, New York, September 9, 1818, and descended from Irish ancestors who were early settlers in New England. He was reared on his father’s farm, obtaining his early education in Bloomfield, New York, and when still young taught school. He went to Ohio, subsequently removing to Wisconsin, where for some time he was engaged in the mercantile business, and then studied law and was admitted to the bar about 1845. He then took up the practice of … Read more