FRANK McFARLAND. – This representative merchant of Eastern Oregon, one of our best and most enterprising men, was born at The Dalles December 17, 1858, and is the son of Mr. and Mrs. James C. McFarland, who crossed the plains in the year 1852 from Ohio with four-horse teams, and in Oregon have reared a family of four daughters and two sons, all of whom occupy honorable positions in the Northwest.
He made his native city his home until 1882, and spent his boyhood days in assiduous attendance upon the public school, obtaining thereby a thorough, practical education. He secured a position also as salesman and clerk in the general merchandise store of McFarland & French of The Dalles, where he learned the ins and outs and practical management of the mercantile business. At the age of twenty-four, having become ambitious to make for himself a career, he went to the town of Alkali (now Arlington) and entered, as a partner with Mr. A.W. Coffin, in the general merchandise business under the firm name of Coffin, McFarland & Co., successfully continuing the same until in 1887 the “Co.” was dropped; and Coffin & McFarland conducted the business a year longer. At the expiration of this time, Mr. McFarland moved to Heppner, Oregon, and opened a branch store, which he conducts at the present time with great success, having an extensive trade, and being one of the best liked, most popular and most trusted of the business men in the whole Inland Empire.
He was married in December, 1880, to Miss Ida M. Potter of Hood River, and has a home furnished with all the comforts and refinements of life on the Pacific coast, having also two fine boys, Earl and Carroll. Mr. McFarland has confined himself strictly to business, and has never aspired to public office; yet he was glad to serve the public eight years as a member of the Columbia Hose Company of The Dalles. He is a native Oregonian of great promise as well as of high record; and it is to him and such as he that our state must look for leaders in business and public affairs.