DAVIS A. MILES is one of the younger class of business men that have stepped forward to press to completion the work that has been so well inaugurated by the sturdy pioneers of the county; and we would be open to the charge of incompleteness did we fail to mention this prosperous and well known gentleman, by giving a review of the salient points of his career, which has been largely spent in this county.
In 1867 in the Grande Ronde valley near Union, in Union county, the subject of this biographical memoir was born to P.H. and Mary A. (Crimin) Miles. His education was obtained largely in the schools of Union county, graduating from the higher school at Union. When he had reached the age of eighteen years he began mining for himself and continued at that occupation for some time. Later he joined the ranks of the educators, where he was successful and taught in different places, ten months of the time being in Spokane, Washington, also reading law under David Herman of that city. Succeeding this he returned to the industry that was most attractive to him, mining, and prosecuted it with vigor for some years, then was appointed chief deputy in the sheriff’s office in 1898, where he is still serving at the present time. His mining industry has taken him to various parts of the rich mining regions adjacent to Union and he now has promising oil properties in Malheur county and placer mining property on Eagle creek. While he has been occupied in the mining matters for some years, he has gained varied and valuable experience that enables him to operate at the present time with more assurance of success in his ventures.
The marriage of Mr. Miles and Mrs. Emma Jones, daughter of Mrs. R. Hilts of south Union, was celebrated in 1890, on August 7. Mrs. Hilts crossed the plains in 1863 and was among the very first to remain in this county. Mr. Miles is considered one of the substantial and progressive citizens of the town of Union and is respected and esteemed by all.