John FORGEY is numbered among the pioneer settlers of Asotin county who have contributed in marked measure to its material development and upbuilding and also to its progress and improvement along social, political and moral lines. He was born near Albany, Linn county, Oregon, August 9, 1865, a sone of George and Martha (SHEAR) FORGEY. The father, a native of Indiana, came to the west with an uncle when eleven years of age and settled in the Willamette valley, where he followed farming. He and his wife are now living with a daughter, Mrs. Phoebe RAMSEY, in Linn county, Oregon. Mr. FORGEY having retired from active business. In their family were the following children; Bellzena, who married James NEWMAN, of Linn county, Oregon; Grover, who married Miss Margaret MILSAPS and resides in Astoria, Oregon; Emma, the deceased wife of W.G. DAGGET; two who died infancy; Phoebe, the wife of Alvin RAMSEY; and Fred, who died at the age of eighteen years, being accidently shot while hunting.
John FORGEY of this review was but six years of age when brought by his parents to Washington, the family home being established in Ellensburg, where they lived for tweleve years. In 1882 they came to Asotin county, where they took up their abode upon a homestead claim. John FORGEY obtained his education in one of the old-time log schoolhouses and in the schools of Asotin. When twenty-one years of age he began farming independently and previous experience well qualified him for the work which he undertook. He first secured a pre-emption claim of one hundred and sixty acres but did not prove up on it. Later he bought three hundred and twenty acres, which he developed, bringing his land under a high state of cultivation, and afterward he bought another tract of one hundred and sixty acres, which he still owns. It is eleven miles south of Asotin and is largely devoted to wheat raising, extensive crops being annually gathered. Mr. FORGEY makes his home in the city of Asotin during the winter months and in the summer resides upon the farm and manages his property.
On the 10th of October, 1886 Mr. FORGEY was married to Miss Sadie MILSAPS, a daughter of Robert and Holly (CARPENTER) MILSAPS, of a prominent old family of Asotin county, to which they removed from Missouri. Mrs. FORGEY crossed the plains with her parents by mule team in 1885, the trip taking three months and eleven days. They arrived in Asotin county on the 31st of August of the same year and camped at what is known as the old WAMSLEY place on Ten Mile creek until October 1, moving from there to Asotin Flat, where they settled on a homestead, Mrs. FORGEY residing there until married in 1886. Mr. and Mrs. FORGEY have become the parents of the following named: Bellzena, who is the wife of Ben MOODY, a farmer of Asotin county; Alva, who died in infancy; Joe, who was married in 1914 to Esther HARDY and follows farming in Montana; Jessie, who died in infancy; and Dell, who was a volunteer in the National Guard and then was transferred to the regular army, now serving in Company E, One Hundred and Sixteenth United States Engineers, in France.
Mr. FORGEY and his family are members of the Christian church and are loyal adherents of its teachings. In politics he is a republican where national issues are involved, but casts an independent local ballot supporting men and measures rather than party. Fraternally he is connected with the Woodmen of the World. He has been a resident of Asotin county for thirty-five years, having arrived when the work of development seemed scarcely begun in this section of the state. He has seen the little village grow to a nice town and has assisted largely in its upbuilding and progress. He is a substantial citizen, loyal at all times to the best interests of community and of state, and as a business man he has a record for thorough reliability and enterprise, his success being attributable entirely to his persistency of purpose and his indefatigable energy intelligently directed.
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Source: Book: Lymans HISTORY of OLD WALLA WALLA, COLUMBIA, GARFIELD, and Asotin Counties. by. W.D. LYMAN, M.A., Lit.D Illustrated Volume 1 Chicago, The S.J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY, 1918 page 571-572