It is quite consistent with a compendium of the defined providence of the history of Wallowa County that in it should appear the review of the career of the esteemed gentleman whose name appears at the head of this article. He has been one of the builders of northeastern Oregon and in this work has manifested a public spirit and sound principles, while in the prosecution of his own business enterprises he has displayed an ability that has given him an unqualified success so brilliant that he is at the present time one of the most influential men and heaviest property owners in Wallowa county.
In Wapello County, Iowa, the subject of this article was born on November 14, 1849, being the son of Edward and Jane (McGuire) Neville, natives respectively of Ohio and Kentucky, but farmers of Iowa. The month of May 1871marks the time when the family came to Oregon, settling in Union county. The father took up land in the vicinity of Summerville, acting in opposition to the advice of old settlers, as they thought the land in question was simply desert. The same is some of the best farmland in this part of Oregon today. The father devoted his energy to farming and stock raising, buying one-half section from the state. He continued one of the prominent men of Union county until 1888, when he was summoned hence by death and the mother followed in 1896, and their remains sleep peacefully in the cemetery at Summerville. The brother of our subject, whose sketch appears in another portion of the book, was living at home when the death of the father occurred and also he was in partnership with our subject and together they have wrought much of the time in this western country. They had secured a farm in the vicinity of Summerville and at the time of their selling, which occurred in 1898, he had seven hundred and eight-seven acres of good land, being one of the choicest farms in the vicinity. Following this sale he came to Wallowa county and purchased about one thousand acres and now lives one-half mile east from Wallowa on a farm of over four hundred acres and devotes his time to general farming and stock raising. The brothers also own one-quarter section still in Union county.
On February 4, 1885, occurred the marriage of Mr. Neville and Miss Julia, daughter of William Hill, an old settler of Union county, and five children have blessed the union, Nora, Edward, Zella, Mable and Mark. Mr. And Mrs. Neville is devoted members of the M.E. church and are highly respected members of society. He is one of the influential men of the county and has manifested commendable zeal in public matters.