HENRY ANDERSON

The life of Henry Anderson, one of the industrious farmers of Ferndale township, constitutes an example of true manhood and good citizenship. A native of Whatcom county, he was born at Bellingham on the 11th of August, 1894, and is a son of James and Thora (Hansen) Anderson, both of whom were born and reared in Denmark. They came to the United States in 1886, settling in Whatcom county, where the father followed the plastering and building trade, having also given considerable attention to the fishing business. He now lives at Concrete, this state, and likewise owns a twenty acre farm near Blaine, Whatcom county. To him and his wife were born nine children, namely: Olga, Henry, Alfred, Louise, Harold, Milton, Dolly and two who died in infancy.

Henry Anderson attended the public schools of Ferndale and afterward was employed on dairy farms until his marriage, in 1917, since which time he has been engaged in farming on his own account. He and his wife have a splendid place of forty-five acres, well improved in every respect, and are here carrying on a general line of farming, also giving considerable attention to dairying, keeping twenty-two head of fine Holstein cows, some of which are registered, and a pure bred bull. Mr. Anderson is businesslike and methodical in all his operations and is achieving a degree of success that has won for him a high reputation as an enterprising and progressive farmer.

On August 23, 1917, Mr. Anderson was married to Miss Ila Nielsen, who was born on the old Tennant homestead, near Ferndale, October 14, 1893, a daughter of Chris and Mary (Pedersen) Nielsen. Her parents were both born and reared in Denmark, the father coming to the United States in 1877 and the mother in 1869. Mr. Nielsen first located in Minnesota, where he remained about two years, and then came to Whatcom county, buying one hundred and twelve acres near Ferndale. The tract was at that time partly covered with timber and brush, but he cleared the land, put it under cultivation and created a fine farm, on which he resided until his death, which occurred October 14, 1903. He was survived for a number of years by his widow, who passed away April 27, 1917. To this worthy couple were born the following children: Mrs. Zera Sorensen, who became the mother of two children, and is now deceased; and Robert L., Margaret, Ila (Mrs. Anderson), and Clara F., who is teaching school in California. To Mr. and Mrs. Anderson have been born three children, namely: Leroy F., born December 15, 1918; Dorothy Marie, born April 15, 1921; and Helen Jean, born October 28, 1924. Mr. Anderson is a member of Bellingham Lodge No. 194, Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. He is a man of good judgment and pronounced views, keeps himself well informed as to current events and takes a commendable interest in the public affairs of his locality, supporting all measures which are intended to advance the general welfare.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 152.

JENS H. BACKER

Of sturdy Scandinavian stock, Jens H. Backer has progressed through the medium of his own efforts, placing his dependence upon the substantial qualities of diligence and perseverance, and he is now at the head of a prosperous business, being one of the well known merchants of Everson. A son of Hans O. and Oline Backer, he was born in 1887 and is a native of Norway. The father was a steamship agent, and he is survived by the mother, who still resides in Norway.

Jens H. Backer was educated in his native land, and in his youth he heard and heeded the call of the new world. He entered the employ of his uncle, Nels Molsted, a clothing merchant of Mount Vernon, Washington, and worked for him for a number of years, gaining valuable experience. Through the exercise of thrift and self-denial he had accumulated sufficient capital for an independent venture, and he chose Everson as the scene of his activities. In 1914 he purchased the business of David Jamison, a general merchant, and has since controlled the enterprise. Mr. Backer has enlarged the store and also owns a warehouse, to which a spur track has been extended. He carries a large stock, selling paint, feed, hardware, farm implements, ready-to-wear clothing, dry goods and boots and shoes. A progressive merchant, he is always prepared to supply the needs of the public, and a well merited reputation for honest dealing has brought him an extensive patronage.

In August, 1920, Mr. Backer was united in marriage to Miss Bertha Simpson, a daughter of John Simpson, a Whatcom county pioneer, whose biography is published elsewhere in this volume. Mr. Backer is connected with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He gives his political allegiance to the republican party and his public spirit find expression in his affiliation with the Community Club. He deserves much credit for what he has accomplished, and he occupies a high place in the esteem of his fellow townsmen.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 91-92.

CURTICE B. BAY

Curtice B. Bay, postmaster of Lynden, has resided in Whatcom county for more than a quarter of a century. For many years he was prominently identified with the lumber business, contributing his share toward the development of one of Washington's chief industries. He was born August 19, 1873, in Crown City, Ohio, and his parents, Thomas J. and Louise (Plymle) Bay, also were natives of that state. The father, who devoted his life to agricultural pursuits, is deceased, and his widow still resides in Ohio.

Their son, Curtice B. Bay, attended the public schools of the Buckeye state, and after his education was completed he chose the life of a mariner. He was employed for a time on steamboats operating on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, but in 1900 he severed his connections with navigation interests and located in Bellingham, Washington. He obtained a position with the Silver Beach Shingle Company, with which he spent ten years, and was next associated with the Lynden Mill & Light Company. He remained with that corporation for five years and then formed a partnership with H. D. Day. They purchased the Shady Brook Shingle Mill, which they operated for about three years, and subsequently Mr. Bay built the Shady Brook Lumber Mill, conducting the business until 1922, when it was sold. He was very successful in his undertakings, displaying initiative, good judgment and executive force in the conduct of his affairs. Mr. Bay was reared on a farm and has never lost his interest in agricultural pursuits, now being the owner of a valuable ranch in the vicinity of Lynden.

In 1894 Mr. Bay was united in marriage to Miss Madeline Ella Rockey, a native of Pennsylvania, and four children were born to them, namely: T. J., who was a lieutenant in the United States navy during the World war; Marion, the wife of George Brenner Bremner, Jr., of Lynden; Mildred, who is a teacher in the public schools and resides at home; and Curtice B., Jr., a student. Mr. Bay is a stanch adherent of the republican party, and since 1923 he has filled the office of postmaster, discharging his duties in a highly creditable manner. He is a Mason and is also identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias. Mr. Bay owes his prosperity to hard work, good management and honorable methods, and in the course of an active and useful life he has won many sincere friends.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 16.

FRANK W. BIXBY

Frank W. Bixby, one of the foremost lawyers of Whatcom county, is practicing in Bellingham and has also figured prominently in public affairs. He was born October 11, 1868, and is a native of St. Croix county, Wisconsin. His father, Augustus Bixby, was born in Vermont and devoted his life to the occupation of farming. He married Melinda Thompson, who was a native of Scotland and came to the United States with her father, who settled in Connecticut.

After the completion of his high school course Frank W. Bixby attended the State Normal College at River Falls, Wisconsin, and then was engaged in teaching for four years. He proved an able educator and was made superintendent of the schools of St. Croix county, acting as editor of The Superintendent while filling the position. He was a successful journalist and for eight years published a weekly paper which enjoyed a large circulation. In 1900 Mr. Bixby went to Montana and purchased a cattle ranch, which he operated for a year. He then became a law student at the University of Washington and was graduated with the class of 1903. He began the practice of law in Seattle but in 1904 moved to Lynden, Washington, in which he maintained an office for seven years. He served as city attorney and in 1910 was selected for higher honors, becoming prosecuting attorney of Whatcom county. He filled that office for four years, coming to Bellingham soon after the passage of the prohibition law, and made a notable record as a public prosecutor, securing conviction in ninety-five per cent of the cases with which he was connected. Mr. Bixby is regarded as a wise counselor and an able advocate who never fails to impress his audience with the justice of the cause he pleads. He is well versed in the principles of jurisprudence and his arguments are marked by strength of logic, aptness of illustration and masterful eloquence. He does much public speaking and is widely known as an orator. He is now associated in practice with H. S. Nightingale and theirs is considered one of the strongest legal combinations in this part of the state. They have a large and important clientele and conform their practice to the highest ethical standards of the profession.

In 1895 Mr. Bixby married Miss Zuba Jacobs, of St. Croix county, Wisconsin, and four children have been born to them. Earl J., the eldest, is an instructor in a dental college and has a wife and two children. Vernon Charles enlisted in 1917, soon after the entrance of the United States into the World war, and saw much hard service in France. He became ill and died soon after the armistice. The others are Florence M., who was graduated from Pullman College and is now engaged in teaching; and Miriam L., a senior in the Bellingham Normal School.

Mr. Bixby is a man of varied talents and his activities have touched life at many points. He was one of the first men in this section to embark in the poultry industry and developed a large chicken ranch. He has made a close study of the science of agriculture and is the owner of a productive farm of two hundred and ten acres, situated north of Lynden, but is now renting the property. He has a predilection for politics and has served on the Whatcom county republican central committee. He joined the progressive faction in 1912 and was one of the stanch followers of Theodore Roosevelt, whom he greatly admired. He is a Knight Templar Mason and Shriner and has been master of his lodge. He is very active in fraternal affairs and has held all of the offices in the Knights of Pythias and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is also connected with the Yeomen, the Loyal Order of Moose, the Woodmen of the World, the Modern Woodmen of America, the Fraternal Order of Eagles and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. Mr. Bixby turns to golf for relaxation and is one of the popular members of the Bellingham Country Club. He is an ex-president of the Northwestern Wisconsin Teachers Association, the Wisconsin State Association of County Superintendents and the Washington State Association of Prosecuting Attorneys and is now serving as president of the Whatcom County Bar Association. Mr. Bixby is a distinguished representative of his profession and has been honored with many high offices, faithfully discharging every trust reposed in him.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 395-396.

SILAS HOPKINS BRADLEY

In the list of Whatcom county's successful citizens Silas Hopkins Bradley occupied a prominent place. In his record there was much that was commendable and his career forcibly illustrated what a life of energy can accomplish when plans are wisely laid and actions are governed by right principles and high ideals. In his business career, as well as in his private life, no word of suspicion was ever breathed against him. His career was rounded in its beautiful simplicity, for he did his full duty in all the relations of life, and it is safe to say that no man in the community in which he lived was held in higher regard. He was born in Franklin county, Virginia, on the 17th of September, 1854, and his death occurred January 31, 1917, in the sixty-third year of his age. His parents, John and Frances (Powell) Bradley, were old settlers of Virginia, where they lived until our subject was about five years of age, when they moved to Callaway county, Missouri. There the father continued in his vocation as a farmer, and there he and his wife died.

Silas H. Bradley received his education in the schools of his home neighborhood in Missouri, and he remained on the farm with his father until his marriage. He then was engaged in the buying and selling of black walnut timber until 1887, when he came to Whatcom county, locating in Lynden, which was his home for about six years. He was engaged in the meat business, having established the first butcher shop in that place. While in business there he took up a preemption claim that had belonged to his brother, J. R. Bradley, and during a period of four or five years he lived there in the summer, moving into Lynden for the winter months, until he had the land proved up, when he sold it. It was heavily timbered and he did considerable clearing and ditching on the place before disposing of it. In 1893 Mr. Bradley bought one hundred and sixty acres of land in Lynden township, comprising the present homestead, and applied himself with energy to the work of developing a farm. Part of the land was swampy, the remainder being covered with a heavy growth of timber and brush. His efforts were effective, and about eighty acres of the farm are now cleared, the remainder being used as pasturage. The farm has been devoted mainly to dairy purposes, thirty-five to forty high grade Jersey cows being kept, as well as a registered sire, and the business has for years been a very successful one. The fields are well cultivated and productive, good crops of hay and grain being raised, and frequently there is a considerable surplus above the requirements of the stock. The farm has been well improved, standing today among the best ranches in this locality, and it reflects greatly to the credit of Mr. Bradley, who had devoted himself indefatigably to his work.

On December 5, 1883, in Missouri, Mr. Bradley was married to Miss Mattie J. Kirkpatrick, who was born in Perry county, Pennsylvania, a daughter of Henry and Elizabeth (Gingrich) Kirkpatrick, both of whom were natives of the Keystone state. When Mrs. Bradley was about six years of age the family moved to Missouri, and in that state she received her educational training. To her union with Mr. Bradley were born ten children, namely: Maud, who is the wife of W. H. Williamson of Nooksack, and has two sons; Lloyd, who lives near the home farm, is married and has two children; John, of Lynden, who is married and has three children; Elizabeth, who is the wife of R. H. Kruse, of Seattle, Washington; Walter, of Vancouver, who is married and has one child; Edna, who is the wife of A. S. Kukura, of Astoria, Washington [Oregon]; Harold, of Calgary, Alberta; Dorothy, who is the wife of E. C. Mickleson, of Bellingham; and Glenn and Florence, who are at home. Mr. Bradley was active in local affairs, cooperating with his fellow citizens especially in early days in the building of roads and the promotion of other measures for the public welfare. His death removed from the community one of her most substantial and highly esteemed residents, and the many beautiful tributes to his high standing as a man and a citizen attested to the abiding place he had in the hearts and affections of his host of friends. His life was beautifully epitomized by a friend of long standing in the following words: "A devoted husband and father, loved by all who knew him; a successful man of affairs, of spotless integrity; a clear-headed optimist, an ideal citizen and gentleman."

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 310-313.

PETER BREUER

Depending upon his own resources for a livelihood, the force of his character as manifest in indefatigable industry has constituted the source of the success of Peter Breuer, a self-made man in the best sense of the term and one of the well known agriculturists of the bay district. A native of Germany, he was born December 26, 1863, and his parents were Claus and Katrina Breuer. His youth was spent in the fatherland, and in 1888 he came to Washington, obtaining employment at Fairhaven, now known as Bellingham. He assisted in clearing land and afterward worked for the Great Northern Railroad. He was promoted to the position of section boss, which he filled for a quarter of a century, faithfully discharging the important duties intrusted to his care. In 1908 Mr. Breuer purchased a fifty-four acre tract near Goshen, and since 1913 he has made his home on this property, which is well improved. He has built a good home and a modern dairy, also having substantial barns for the shelter of grain and stock. His orchard contains many choice varieties of fruit, and he also find poultry raising a profitable occupation.

In 1887 Mr. Breuer married Miss Caroline Ebeling, also a native of Germany, and to their union were born six children, four of whom survive. Peter, the eldest son, is living in Tacoma, Washington, and has a wife and two children. Edith is the wife of W. W. Lyst, a well known ranchman of this locality, and they have one child. Leo, the second son, is attending the State University. William is married and operates a farm near the homestead. Doris, the fifth in order of birth, died when a young girl of sixteen, and the life of her brother Henry was terminated at the early age of ten years.

Mr. Breuer is identified with the Order of Yeomen and exercises his right of franchise in support of the candidates and measures of the republican party. He served to six years on the school board and is much interested in everything that affects the growth and prosperity of the district in which he resides. He enjoys the social side of life and is esteemed for the qualities that have made possible his success.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 582.

GEORGE A. BRUNSON

George A. Brunson, one of the well established landowners and dairymen of Mountain View township, owning a well kept place on rural mail route No. 2 out of Ferndale, is a Nebraskan by birth but has been a resident of the coast country since the days of his childhood, being a member of one of the pioneer families. He was born on a farm in the vicinity of Omaha, May 19, 1877, and is a son of Franklin and Elmira Olive  (Cook) Brunson.

The father, one of the honored pioneers of Mountain View township, was married in Nebraska after previous experience in farming in Canada and in Illinois, and continued to make his home in Nebraska until 1883, when he disposed of his holdings there and with his family came to Bellingham, Washington, then known as Sehome. In that year he entered his claim to a quarter section in what now is Mountain View township and on that place, then in its primitive wilderness state, established his home and settled down to the difficult task of clearing and improving his land, in time making a good piece of property of it. He later sold this tract and took over an "eighty" lying partly in Mountain View township and partly in Custer township, which following his death was distributed equally among his four surviving children. Franklin Brunson was one of the influential citizens of his township and ever took an interested part in local public affairs. For several years he was a member of the school board and at one time was his party's nominee for county commissioner, losing out by but ten votes. He was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He died on his farm April 25, 1923, and is survived by his widow who is now Mrs. D. C. Haynes. To him and his wife were born seven children, of whom George A. is the eldest, the others being: Ralph, who is now engaged in the grocery business at Anacortes; Harry, who died when a child, not long after the family came to this county; Nannie, who married Frank Cook and died in Pennsylvania; Frank, a veteran of the World war, now engaged in farming in Mountain View township; Lloyd, a homesteader in Montana, who died there during the prevalence of the influenza epidemic in 1918; and Pansy, who married Robert E. Tucker and is now living at Glendale, California, where she is engaged in community welfare service.

George A. Brunson was but six years of age when his parents with their family settled here in 1883 and he thus was reared in this county, attending the Custer, Pleasant Valley and Enterprise schools. He remained with his father on the farm until some time after he had attained his majority and in 1901, took up the trade of machinist and in that capacity became employed at Baker, Oregon, where he was employed at his trade until the time of his father's death in 1923. He then returned to Whatcom county and has since been engaged in dairy farming on that portion of the home place to which by inheritance he came into possession. He has a good herd, Jerseys and Guernseys, and is developing a good dairy plant. He also has a well developed orchard of three acres, apples and pears, and his place is otherwise well improved. Mr. Brunson is a member of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association and is also affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Woodmen of the World.

In 1904, at Baker, Oregon, Mr. Brunson was united in marriage to Miss Cleora McMurren and they have two daughters, Helen and Edith, both of whom (1926) are students in the high school. Mrs. Brunson was born at Baker and is a daughter of William McMurren, one of the pioneers of Oregon, who had crossed the plains as a young man in the late '60s and in time became established at Baker.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 884.

JOHN CAMPBELL

With no advantages to aid him at the outset of his career, John Campbell has thoroughly demonstrated his strength of character and ability to cope with life's problems and difficulties. He is now numbered among the prosperous agriculturists of Whatcom county and is also a township officer, residing in the vicinity of Bellingham. He was born in 1863 and is a native of Scotland. His parents, John and Jean Campbell, were also Caledonians, and his mother, who has reached the advanced age of ninety-three years, still lives in Scotland, but the father is deceased.

Mr. Campbell received a public school education and in 1881, when eighteen years of age, severed home ties, yielding to the lure of the new world. He obtained employment in New York city and after the day's tasks were finished attended night school, being very anxious to advance. He next journeyed westward, spending a few years in Wisconsin, and later went to North Dakota. In 1888 he came to Washington and for three years was a resident of Seattle, doing field work for the city engineer. He aided in building the waterworks plant on the Cedar river and afterward lived for a time in Yakima and at Ellensburg, Washington. Mr. Campbell came to Whatcom county about 1903 and obtained a position in Bellingham, later working in the logging camps of this district. In 1907 he invested his savings in land, purchasing a tract of twenty acres near the city, and has cleared half of the place. He also owns thirty acres adjoining and engages in general farming. He operates a small dairy and is likewise one of the well known poultrymen of this section, having a flock of seven hundred hens. His work is conducted along scientific lines and everything about the ranch is indicative of the careful supervision and progressive spirit of the owner.

In 1905 Mr. Campbell married Miss Lettie Grimes, of Wisconsin, and they have become the parents of two daughters, Jean and Blanche, both at home. Mr. Campbell is a republican in his political convictions, and for seven years he has been justice of the peace. With the exception of one term he has filled the office of township assessor ever since Van Wyck township was established, and in considering matters affecting the general welfare he gives to them the same deep thought and study that he habitually bestows upon his private interests. He has shirked no duty, fulfilling every obligation in life to the best of his ability, and his record proves what may be accomplished when effort and ambition combine.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 180-181.

PHILLIP M. CLARK

Phillip M Clark, one of the prosperous agriculturists of Whatcom county, also engaged in plumbing and steamfitting, has lived in this region for nearly a half century, witnessing much of the actual "winning of the west," and from the storehouse of memory he relates many interesting anecdotes of the early days. He was born July 12, 1877, in San Francisco, California, in which city his parents, Michael Joseph and Ellen (Phelan) Clark, located during the conflict between the states and for a number of years followed the profession of a marine engineer. He came with his family to Whatcom county in 1878 and purchased the Hedge donation claim. He also took up a homestead of twenty-seven acres, and his holdings at first comprised one hundred and seven acres. From time to time he acquired additional tracts and eventually became the owner of hundreds of acres of rich and arable land, doing much to develop the agricultural resources of the county. His standards of farming were high, and he was among the first to introduce fine stock into this district. He was a man of progressive spirit and after years of unceasing toil transformed his property into one of the model farms of northwestern Washington. Mr. Clark was sub-agent for the Lummi Indian agency and filled that post for twenty-five years, faithfully discharging his duties. His long and useful life was brought to a close in 1916, and he is survived by his widow, who has reached the advanced age of eighty-six years. In their family were six children, two of whom survive, namely: Phillip M., and Catherine, the wife of Stanford Mayhew and the mother of three children.

Phillip M. Clark was but a year old when his parents settled in Whatcom county, and his education was acquired in its public schools. He aided his father in the work of plowing, planting and harvesting, thus gaining a practical knowledge of agricultural pursuits, and he owns and operates the homestead in the Marietta district. He has added many improvements to the place and is a firm believer in scientific methods, keeping ever abreast of the times. As a young man he learned the trade of plumbing and steamfitting and has since been thus engaged, being a skillful and efficient workman.

In 1905 Mr. Clark was united in marriage to Miss Vera Mary Birdsell, of Lynden, Washington, a daughter of Reuben and Mary Ellen Birdsell, who came to Whatcom in 1886. During the World war Mr. Clark became a member of Company K, First Battalion, and later was transferred to Company M, of the Second Washington Battalion, serving valiantly until the close of the war and receiving his honorable discharge in Bellingham. He is a staunch adherent of the republican party and for many years has been deputy game warden, making a fine records in the office. He belongs to the Fraternal Order of Eagles and is a trustee of the Pioneers Association of Whatcom County. Mr. Clark has made an exhaustive study of the language and customs of the Indian tribes of this region and is regarded as an authority on matters pertaining to their history. He is largely familiar with events that have shaped the progress of this section of the state, bearing an honorable part in the work of civilization, and his many good qualities have established him high in public regard.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 502-505.

JAMES M. EDMONDS

One of the progressive men of Whatcom county is J. M. Edmonds, whose persistent and aggressive efforts and excellent management have brought to him the prosperity which is today his. He has ever stood ready to do what he could in advancing the development of his locality and assuring agricultural prosperity in his vicinity, and his career has been such as to merit the high esteem in which he is uniformly held. Mr. Edmonds is a native of Gallatin county, Illinois, born on the 11th of June, 1864, and he is a son of J. I. and Molly (Pearce) Edmonds, the latter a native of Illinois. The father was born and reared in Tennessee, living in that state until 1861, when he moved to Illinois, where he became superintendent of a large farm, which position he held for three years. He was married in 1863, and soon afterward bought eighty acres of land, to the cultivation of which he applied himself until about 1888, when he retired from active labor and located in Norris City, that state, where he spent his remaining days, dying about 1900. His wife passed away in 1868. They were the parents of three children: J. M., T. M., who is a banker in Norris City, Illinois, and Ida May, who became the wife of Alex Jackson, and died in 1923, as the result of an automobile accident.

J. M. Edmonds received a good, practical education in the public schools of Illinois and remained at home until twenty years of age. He then went to work at railroading, which occupation he followed for three years, and for a similar period was employed at farm work. After his marriage, which occurred in 1891, he settled on an eighty-acre farm near Omaha, Illinois, to the cultivation of which he applied himself until December, 1904, when he went to Adams county, Washington, and bought a one-hundred-sixty-acre wheat farm. He operated that farm for about four and a half years, when he sold it and, coming to Whatcom county, bought twenty acres of land in Ferndale township, which he has developed into a fine home and from the operation of which he is enjoying a very gratifying financial return. He cultivates the land, raising mainly hay, potatoes and berries, and also keeps about three hundred hens. He is a man of sound judgment and up-to-date ideas and exercises sound discrimination in his management of the place. Mrs. Edmonds is an expert horticulturist and raises over a hundred different varieties of flowers. There is a large demand for them and she sells all she can raise, supplying the leading hotels and other business places in Bellingham with cut flowers daily.

On September 3, 1891, Mr. Edmonds was married to Mrs. Alice Bozarth Pearce, who was born in Gallatin county, Illinois, december 26, 1861, a daughter of Franklin P. and Lucretia (Pinnell) Bozarth, both natives of Kentucky. Mrs. Edmonds had been married February 29, 1880, to V. W. Pearce, who was born in White county, Illinois, December 29, 1854, and died January 29, 1889. They became the parents of five children: J. F., born in 1881; Mabel, born in 1883, now deceased; Ida E., born in 1885; Gertrude, born in 1889, now deceased, and V. W., born in 1888. Mr. and Mrs. Edmonds have three children: Gerald E., born in Illinois in 1892, and now living in Yakima county, Washington, is married and has two children, Lillian, born in 1917, and Lloyd, born in 1919; Lillian V., who is the wife of E. R. Jacobson, of Snoqualmie, King county, Washington, and the mother of five children, Wilma, Robert, Marian, Donald and Lois; and Winifred R., who is married and lives in Yakima county, Washington, and has a daughter, Beverley Jean. Mr. Edmonds' career had been characterized by duty faithfully performed, by a public-spirited interest in the welfare of his community and by his square dealing with his fellow men, traits which have won for him the confidence and good will of all who know him.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 605-606.

CYRUS T. GATES

Cyrus T. Gates was long identified with farming operations in Whatcom county, where he has resided for over thirty years, and he is now living in Deming, devoting his attention to the hotel business. A son of Henry A. and Mary Ann (Noel) Gates, he was born in 1870 and is a native of Pennsylvania. His father was a Union veteran, enlisting in Company K of the One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Pennsylvania Infantry, but he was later transferred to another company. After the Civil war he was engaged in agricultural pursuits until his demise.

Cyrus T. Gates attended the public schools of his native state, and after his education was completed he was employed in lumber woods and in coal mines. He arrived at Deming, Washington, in the spring of 1895 and after working for some time in the lumber camps purchased a tract of forty acres in the vicinity of Kulshan, then known as Welcome. He zealously applied himself to the task of clearing the land, which was covered with timber, and after years of systematic labor developed a fine ranch, on which he installed many modern improvements. In the fall of 1913 he rented the place to his son and has since made his home in Deming. With the assistance of his wife he conducts the Deming Inn, a well appointed hostelry containing eleven rooms, and he is also the proprietor of a restaurant and billiard hall. Mrs. Gates has charge of the hotel, which she is ably managing, and Mr. Gates attributes much of his success to her business insight and wise counsel. A high standard of service is maintained in the operation of the hotel and restaurant, and both are well patronized.

Mr. Gates was married April 16, 1891, to Miss Lillie M. Gray, a daughter of Alexander and Mary Gray, of Pennsylvania. The family migrated from that state to Kansas and there the mother passed away. Subsequently the father remarried in 1897 came with his wife to Whatcom county, where his demise occurred in 1899. Mr. and Mrs. Gates have become the parents of eight children, of whom Floyd T. is the eldest. He responded to his country's call to arms and went to the front with the Fifth Machine Gun Battalion, in the Second Division. After the signing of the armistice he was sent to Germany with the Army of Occupation, spending seven months on the Rhine, and he is now manager of the Griffen store at Deming. He married Miss Helen Radonski, by whom he has a daughter, Mavis Lorraine. Mary, the next in the family, is the wife of Lester Scamfer and lives in South Bend, Washington. Earl H. resides with his parents. During the World war he served in the United States navy, making thirteen round trips across the Atlantic on American transports. Ray served in the World war and was discharged with the rank of sergeant at Camp Dodge, Iowa, where he was an instructor. He married Miss Irene Enersbee and make his home in Bellingham. His twin brother, Roy, who is managing his father's ranch at Kulshan, married Miss Doris Hatton, and they have a daughter Eleanora Louise. Ivis, the sixth in order of birth, is at home. Ralph joined the Marines and served for two years. He married Miss Lilly Wallace, by whom he has a daughter, Virginia, and they reside in Deming. Jennie Gray, the youngest member of the family is still at home.

While the war was in progress Mr. Gates was secretary of the Knights of Columbus. He made two trips to Europe in the interests of this organization, and his wife was active in patriotic work at home. He is allied with the republican party and has been deputy assessor. For several years he was in the service of the state, acting as assistant manager of the fish hatchery. He is affiliated with the Eagles, the Knights of Pythias and the Knights of Columbus, and is a faithful communicant of the Catholic church. Mr. Gates is a man of substantial worth and is known and esteemed throughout the county.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 398-401.

URIAH D. GNAGEY

Uriah D. Gnagey is one of the talented members of the Bellingham bar and for more that thirty years has been a prominent figure in legal circles of Washington. He was born September 28, 1863, in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, and his parents, Daniel and Mary (Fike) Gnagey, are both deceased. The father was a cooper by trade, also following the occupation of farming, and his demise occurred in 1864. Christian Gnagey, the American progenitor of the family, was a native of Switzerland and came to the new world in 1750. He located a Tomahawk claim in Pennsylvania and the property remained in possession of the family until 1914, a period of one hundred and sixty-four years.

Uriah D. Gnagey received a public school education and later read law under Charles Mullins, of Waterloo, Iowa, afterward attorney general, also studying under the direction of Richard A. Ballinger, of Seattle, Washington, who later became secretary of the interior. Mr. Gnagey was admitted to the bar in 1892 and began his professional career in Port Townsend, Washington, where he practiced for many years with marked success. He was city attorney of Port Townsend for eight terms, prosecuting attorney of Jefferson county for three terms and court commissioner for a considerable period, displaying rare qualities as a public servant. In 1923 he allied his interests with those of Bellingham and is now enjoying a large practice. His mind is analytical and logical in its trend and in his presentation of a case he is always fortified by a comprehensive understanding of the legal principles applicable thereto.

In 1904 Mr. Gnagey was married, in Seattle, to Miss Ina Pratt, a native of Oregon and a daughter of P. R. Pratt who in early days bought land in Whatcom county, Washington. To this union were born three children: Ruth and Bernice, both at home; and Raymond who is deceased. Mr. Gnagey is connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and casts his ballot for the candidates of the republican party. He takes the interest of a good citizen in public affairs and served for ten years as president of the Port Townsend school board, doing much to advance educational standards in that locality. He is a man of broad and liberal views and at all times is dominated by a strong sense of duty and honor, occupying a high place in the esteem of his professional colleagues and those with whom he has been associated in other relations of life.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 396-397.

JOHN C. GREGOR

John C. Gregor, a well known and substantial farmer, landowner and dairyman of the Mountain View neighborhood in Whatcom county, is the proprietor of a well kept place of forty acres near Ferndale. He has resided on that tract for the past twenty years, and is very well established there. Mr. Gregor is a native of Norway but has been a resident of this country since the year in which he attained his majority. He was born May 2, 1871, a son of Andrew and Mattie (Christianson) Gregor, the former of whom was a farmer and a seaman. In 1892 they came to the United States with their family and in June of that year settled at Minneapolis, Minnesota.

For a year after coming to this country John C. Gregor was employed in the great flour mills in Minneapolis and then joined his father in operating a farm on which the family had become located in the Wilmar neighborhood in Kandiyohi county, Minnesota. For seven years he remained there, or until 1900, when he came to Washington, locating at Bellingham, where he became employed in the lumber mills. A year later, having "prospected around" a bit, he went to Rome Township and bought a tract of one hundred and twenty acres, which he cleared and cultivated, living there for four years. In 1906 he sold it and bought forty acres in the Mountain View neighborhood, where he and his family have since resided and where they are now pleasantly situated. In addition to general farming Mr. Gregor gives considerable attention to dairying and poultry raising and is doing very well. He is a member of the Whatcom County Dairy Association and has long been recognized as one of the progressive farmers of that section of the county. He also has given proper attention to the general civic affairs of the community and for two years rendered public service as supervisor of highways in his district.

On July 3, 1901, in Bellingham, Mr. Gregor was united in marriage to Miss Gertie Dyven, and they have three children: Mattie, who was born in Bellingham; Alvin, born on the farm in the Rome neighborhood; and Alice, who was born on the Mountain View place and who is now (1926) a student in the high school. Miss Mattie Gregor finished her education in the State Normal School at Bellingham and is now teaching in the nearby Mountain View school. Alvin Gregor also attended the State Normal School, and during the winters he is engaged in teaching. Like her husband, Mrs. Gregor also is a native of Norway, and she is a daughter of Andrew and Carrie (Veglengsrud) Dyven, likewise natives of that country, where they spent their entire lives. She came to American in 1899, accompanying an uncle, and became a resident of Clinton, Big Stone, county, Minnesota. In the next year she moved to Bellingham, a member of the same party as that with which Mr. Gregor came here, and it was thus the acquaintance was formed which in the summer of the following year resulted in the marriage of this estimable couple.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 89-90.

HON. LINDLEY HOAG HADLEY

The name of Hon. Lindley Hoag Hadley is inscribed upon the pages of Bellingham's history in terms of honor and success. He is a lawyer of high attainments and for six terms has been congressman from this district. Manifesting at all times a statesman's grasp of the vital questions and issues of the day, he has so conducted the interests intrusted to his charge that beneficial results have accrued, and his course has received widespread commendation.

Mr. Hadley was born June 19, 1861, in Sylvania, Indiana, of which state his parents, Jonathan and Martha (McCoy) Hadley, were also natives, and his father was one of its pioneer farmers. Lindley H. Hadley attended a local academy and also took a course at the Wesleyan University of Illinois. He mastered the fundamental principles of the law and on September 6, 1889, was admitted to the Indiana bar. He had previously been engaged in teaching and at Rockville, Indiana, filled the position of superintendent of schools. He continued his educational work until the fall of 1890 and on September 10 of that year arrived in Bellingham, where he has since practiced with marked success. His naturally keen mind has been thoroughly disciplined through close study, and his arguments are lucid, cogent and always to the point. For a few months he was associated with his brother, Hiram E., and Thomas Slade. After the latter's withdrawal from the firm the brothers were alone until October 16, 1891, when the firm of Dorr, Hadley & Hadley was formed, and this relationship was continued until H. E. Hadley was called to the bench of the superior court of Washington in the fall of 1896. He served as judge of the supreme court from 1901 until 1909 and is now a member of the Seattle bar. The other partner, C. W. Dorr, went to San Francisco, California, as counsel for the Alaska Packers Association and subsequently located in Seattle, again forming a partnership with H. E. Hadley, with whom he practiced until his death.

Lindley H. Hadley became senior member of the firm of Hadley, Hadley & Abbott, his associates being his brother, Alonzo M. Hadley, and W. H. Abbott, and remained at the head of the organization until March 1, 1915, three days before the beginning of his term in congress, to which he was elected in 1914. He then withdrew from the firm, which is now known as Hadley & Abbott, and has since been a member of the national legislative body, taking a leading part in its deliberations. He was selected as one of the members of the merchant marine and fisheries committee, on which he served for four years, and in that connection accomplished much important work in relation to the shipping board bill and the Alaska fisheries legislation, while he was also instrumental in improving the merchant marine service. Believing that the great increase in drug addicts is largely responsible for the appalling increase in crime in the United States, he has devoted much time and effort to the promotion of anti-narcotic legislation, acting as chairman of three sub-committees. He was assigned to the thirteenth position on the ways and means committee, on which he now holds fifth place, and prior to the entrance of our nation into the world conflict he strongly advocated preparatory measurers, realizing that war with Germany was inevitable. He was an ardent supporter of the soldiers' compensation act, and he espouses the moral side of every issue, vigorously opposing whatever he regard as useless or vicious legislation. For seven years he has specialized in taxation and tariff matters and has three times aided in revising the revenue law. He is a deep student and a recognized authority on these branches of legislation.

On June 1, 1887, Mr. Hadley married Miss Lavelette Cross, of Rockville, Indiana, a daughter of Joseph F. and Mary (Trevy) Cross, both natives of Virginia. To Mr. and Mrs. Hadley were born three children: Virginia, who is the wife of G. R. Trafton, of Seattle; Gordon, deceased; and Helen, who was married to McLean Gander and also lives in Seattle.

Preeminently loyal and public-spirited in all matters of citizenship, Mr. Hadley has utilized his talents as readily for the public weal as for his own aggrandizement, and he was chairman of the commission which framed the charter of Bellingham. He is a director of the First National Bank of Bellingham and was the first president of the Bellingham Chamber of Commerce after the consolidation. He is a Knight Templar Mason and in the Scottish Rite Consistory has taken the thirty-second degree. He belongs to the Mystic shrine and is also identified with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. A man of broad views and wide interests, Mr. Hadley has ever been dominated by a strong sense of duty, and the record of his achievements affords the best commentary upon his ability and character.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 627-628.

HENRY C. HALVERSON

Enterprising, self-reliant and determined, Henry C. Halverson typifies the progressive spirit of the west, and although but twenty-three years of age he exerts a strong influence in mercantile circles of Lawrence. He was born in Whatcom county on the 9th of October, 1902, and is a son of H. B. and Carrie (Fingalson) Halverson. The mother was born in the state of Minnesota and the father is a native of Norway. They came to Whatcom county in 1901 and the father purchased land in Mountain View township. He also owns property at Cottonwood Beach, where he conducts a summer resort.

Henry C. Halverson was graduated from the high school at Ferndale and remained at home until 1924. He clerked for a year in the Mundel store at Lawrence and on January 1, 1925, joined Ivar B. Moen in purchasing the business, which they are now conducting. They are general merchants, handling groceries, flour and feed, dry goods and boots and shoes, and in response to their combined efforts the trade of the firm is rapidly expanding. The business is wisely managed and rests upon the solid foundation of honor and integrity. Mr. Halverson is affiliated with the Lutheran church and casts his ballot for the candidates and measures of the republican party. He is a young man of worth and intelligence and his future is a most promising one.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 796.

NIELS HANSEN

The United States is greatly indebted to the little Danish kingdom for having sent so many of her best citizens to help in the development of this country. They have been coming to our shores from early days and have settled in every section of our land, devoting themselves indefatigably to all lines of endeavor, and usually succeeding in whatever they undertake. They have been intensely loyal to our institutions and have been ready on all occasions to defend our flag in times of national peril - in short, we have no better foreign-born citizens than the Danes. Niels Hansen was born in Denmark on the 23d of January, 1863, and is a son of Hans and Annie (Jensen) Hansen, both of whom were born and reared in Denmark, where they spent their lives, the father dying in 1884 and the mother in 1905.

Niels Hansen received his education in the schools of his native land, and then went to sea as a sailor, following that vocation for nine years and also spending part of one year in the Danish navy. During this time he visited every country in the world, stopping at practically all ports of importance. He then went to Australia, where he spent three years, and about 1885 came to the United States, locating in Logan, Utah, where he lived for three years. His next location was in Preston, Idaho, where he took up a homestead, but at the end of five years he sold that place and went to Vancouver island, where he engaged in farming for about a year. He then went to New Westminster, British Columbia, where for about ten years he engaged in the fishing business. In 1910 Mr. Hansen came to Whatcom county and bought forty acres of land in Ferndale township, located on the Smith road. The land was partly cleared and he went to work to complete this important work, which done, he bent his energies to the cultivation and improvement of the place. He carried on general farming and dairying there for about fourteen years, meeting with very gratifying success in all of his operations, when, feeling that he had acquired a sufficient competence to enable him to take life more leisurely, he leased this farm and bought five acres of land on Sunset avenue, where he and his good wife are now living, enjoying that rest to which their years of toil so richly entitle them. Mr. Hansen does not know the meaning of the word idleness and so, while practically retired from active business, he keeps a flock of five hundred chickens, has two cows and maintains a nice garden, so that he has work sufficient to occupy his time. He take great interest in the poultry business, which affords a very comfortable income.

On November 27, 1885, Mr. Hansen was married to Miss Jensine Jensen, who was born in Denmark, daughter of Jens and Carrie (Petersen) Jensen. Her parents were born and reared in Denmark, and there spent their lives, the mother dying in 1879 and the father in 1900. To Mr. and Mrs. Hansen have been born seven children, namely: William, who is married and has two sons, Earl and Herbert; Chris, who is married and has a son, Wallace; Anna, who is the wife of Merl Carla, and they have three children, Billy, Lorena and Annetta; Caila, who is the wife of Arthur Lund; Harry; Albert; and May, who is the wife of Ray Furch. Mr. and Mrs. hansen are members of the Grange, and Mr. Hansen is a member of the Danish Brotherhood. He is a fine type of citizen, standing for all that is best in community life and supporting all measures for the improvement and prosperity of the locality in which he lives. Because of these commendable qualities, he enjoys a well-merited popularity among his fellow citizens of Ferndale township.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 505-506.

THOMAS HEERINGA

Although Holland has not sent as many of her people to Whatcom county as have some other nations of Europe, those who have honored this locality with their citizenship have become conspicuous in view of their enterprising and progressive spirit and have become valued citizens in every respect, for while advancing their individual interests they have not been neglectful of the general good. Thomas Heeringa was born in Holland in 1878 and is a son of Peter and Sadie Heeringa, the former of whom died when the subject was quite young. The mother is now making her home in Lynden, Whatcom county.

Thomas Heeringa secured his education in the public schools of his native country and in Iowa. He came to this country at the age of thirteen years, celebrating that birthday while on the ocean. He located in Sioux county, Iowa, where he joined a brother, Lee Heeringa, and remained in that state until 1899, during which period he was employed at farm work. In that year he came to Whatcom county and was employed at various occupations until the following year, when he bought his present place, his first purchase comprising twenty-five acres, to which he later added ten acres. When he secured this land it was covered with stumps, logs and brush and he worked hard in clearing it up, but in the course of time he developed a good, productive farm, of which he is justifiably proud. He is giving his attention mainly to the dairy business, keeping fourteen good grade milk cows and a registered sire. He also keeps four hundred chickens, and has found both lines of work very profitable. He keeps everything about his farm in fine repair and gives careful and painstaking attention to every detail of his work.

In 1901 Mr. Heeringa was married to Miss Ciena Ossink, who was born in Wisconsin, a daughter of Herman and Diena Ossink, the former of whom now lives in Lynden, his wife being deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Heeringa have been born the following children, namely: Mrs. Diena Van der Kooe, whose husband is a contractor at Lynden, and they have one child; Mrs. Sadie Radder, of Lynden, who is the mother of two children; and Hermina, Peter, Herman, Lewis, Henry, Gerret and Thomas. Mr. and Mrs. Heeringa are earnest members of the First Christian Reformed church, of which they are liberal supporters. Mr. Heeringa is a member of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association and the Whatcom County Poultry Association. He is keenly alive to everything affecting the welfare or progress of his community. Genial and companionable, he enjoys a wide acquaintance throughout this section of the county and has a large circle of warm and loyal friends, who esteem him for his genuine worth as a man and citizen.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 439-440.

JULIAN C. HILLS

Julian C. Hills, city engineer of Bellingham, has used his knowledge for the benefit of mankind, and his superior ability has made his known and respected throughout the northwest. He was born March 4, 1873, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a son of William and Mary Hills, who are both deceased. His higher education was received in the engineering department of the University of Minnesota, and he began his professional career with the Great Northern railroad. For nineteen years he was in the service of that corporation, his labors during that period extending from St. Paul, Minnesota, to Vancouver, British Columbia. In 1906, he came to Whatcom county and constructed the road from Blaine, Washington, to New Westminster, British Columbia. He resigned his position in 1909 and aided in building the line in the Real River district of Canada. For two years he was engaged in the private practice of his profession at New Westminster, and in 1912 he was called to Blaine, Washington, as city engineer. He built the sewer system and the docks and also laid out the streets. In 1917 he was appointed assistant engineer of Whatcom county and subsequently was made acting county engineer.

In 1918 Mr. Hills was chosen county engineer, and his record won him reelection at the close of his first term. He served for five years in all, and under his supervision one hundred and twenty miles of concrete pavement were laid in the county, whose highways now rank with the best in the state. He then returned to Minnesota and afterward made an automobile tour covering a distance of twenty-two thousand miles. On the completion of the tour he was appointed to his present office, assuming his new duties in January, 1924, and he was the moving spirit in securing for the city its fine water supply. He has a comprehensive knowledge of Bellingham's problems and needs and recognizes the value of its splendid natural resources, working at all times for the city's best interests.

In October, 1895, Mr. Hills was united in marriage to Miss Jennie Jourdain, a native of Minnesota, and they have two children: Julian C., Jr., and Marjorie M. Mr. Hills casts his ballot for the candidates of the republican party and along fraternal lines is connected with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. He is a distinguished representative of his profession, and thorough technical training, constant study and broad experience enable him to speak with authority upon many questions of civil engineering.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 91.

JOHN A. HOOD

John A. Hood, of the Union Iron Works of Bellingham, a manufacturer of long established connection with the industrial affairs of that city, having engaged in his present line for the past twenty-five years, is a native of the Dominion of Canada, born in Ontario, October 27, 1874, and is a son of Finley and Jane (McKay) Hood, the latter of whom was born in Ontario and both of whom died there. The father, a native of Scotland, was a machinist during the earlier years of his active life and later became a farmer in the neighborhood of Ontario.

It was thus that John A. Hood grew up on a farm, familiar with the detail of land development, and when he went to British Columbia in 1899, he engaged in farming there. A year later, however, he abandoned that plan and went to Westminster, where he was employed in an iron foundry and became thoroughly acquainted with foundry operations. Coming to Bellingham, he was placed in charge of the Letson & Burpee foundry. In 1907 Mr. Hood, in association with John C. Borchard and Frank and Edward McParland, became engaged in the foundry business on his own account in Bellingham, he and his partners in September of that year opening an iron foundry on Grant street, which has been developed into the present extensive plant of the Union Iron Works and with which concern Mr. Hood is still connected, one of the best known iron manufacturers in this section of the state.

On October 19, 1904, at Port Elgin, Mr. Hood was united in marriage to Miss Bethea Struthers, who also was born in Ontario, and they have three sons, John Struthers, James Finley and George Douglas. Mr. and Mrs. Hood are members of the Presbyterian church and have ever taken an active part in church work and in the general social affairs of the city. He is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and is also a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen. In his political views he is inclined to side with the "independents" on general local issues.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 570.

OLE IVERSON

Deeds are thoughts crystallized, and according to their practicability do we judge the worth of a man to his community, and in his works we expect to find an index to his character. A worthy representative of that type of American business man who may properly be termed progressive and who promotes public good while advancing individual prosperity, is Ole Iverson, well known and successful sawmill and shingle mill owner of Delta township. He has been prominently identified with this locality for a number of years and is favorable known throughout this section of the county. He was born at Albert Lea, Minnesota, on the 31st of October, 1883, and is a son of Iver and Olena (Brekken) Iverson, both of whom were natives of Norway. They came to the United States in 1875 and located at Albert Lea, Minnesota, where the father engaged in farming, in which he was successful, and he remained there until 1889, when he came to Whatcom county, Washington, and bought ten acres of land north of Bellingham. He prospered in the development and operation of this place and added to his holdings from time to time, and at his death, in 1905, he was the owner of ninety acres of timber land. He is survived by his widow, who lives in South Bellingham. They were the parents of four children, those who survive being Thomas, of Bellingham, and Ole.

Ole Iverson received his educational training in the public schools of Whatcom county, to which he came when six years of age. At the age of seventeen he went to work in a shingle mill, eventually becoming filer in the mill. In 1910 he leased a shingle mill, located on the Smith road, and went into business on his own account. After running that mill for about four years, he went to Badger, in Delta township, and bought what was known as the "Modern Mill" from Henderson & Anglin. He operated that mill successfully for four years and then sold it. In 1918 he bought another sawmill, which is located in the southwest corner of Delta township. This mill has a capacity of ten thousand feet per day and is run full time practically throughout the year. Mr. Iverson also carries a full line of building material, in which he does a large business throughout the community, his line including brick, lime, cement, building paper, nails, tile and, in fact, everything required in building. Any lumber called for and not manufactured by him he buys from the larger mills at Bellingham, so that he is prepared to furnish anything required. He is progressive and enterprising, has a loyal force of employees, to whom he pays top wages, and fully merits the high position he holds in business circles. Mr. Iverson owns one hundred acres of land in Whatcom county, fifty-five acres of which are heavily timbered.

In September, 1909, Mr. Iverson was married to Miss Ida Dux, a native of Wisconsin and a daughter of Fred and Martha Dux, the former of whom was a native of Germany, while the latter was born and reared in Wisconsin. They came to Whatcom county in 1904 and the father is now successfully engaged in farming here. To Mr. and Mrs. Iverson have been born four children, namely: Florence, born in 1911; Gilbert, born in December, 1913; Adeline, born in June, 1916; and Leo, born in January, 1921. Fraternally Mr. Iverson is a member of Custer Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is easily the peer of any of his fellow citizens in the essential qualities of manhood and good citizenship, and he has attained his present standing solely through the impelling force of his own strong nature. Sound business principles, sterling integrity, indomitable energy and a winning personality have been the elements which have gained for him the success which has crowned his efforts.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 345-346.

JENS CHRISTIAN JACOBSEN

Regardless of the fact that Denmark is one of the small countries of Europe, it has sent many of its best citizens to the United States. They began coming in early days and have located in practically every section of the country. They have become splendid citizens of our country, loyal to its flag and institutions, and have done their share in building up their respective communities, having proven themselves substantial elements in our cosmopolitan population. In this class is J. C. Jacobsen, of the vicinity of Blaine, Whatcom county, who was born in Denmark, in 1865, a son of Jacob and Elsie (Jensen) Jacobsen, farming folk, who spent their entire lives and died in that country.

J. C. Jacobsen received a good, practical education in the public schools of his native land and then served the required time in the national army, first serving eight months with the infantry, when eighteen years of age. Two years later he served a month, and two years afterward served another month. He worked for his father and on other farms until 1890, when he emigrated to the United States, coming direct to Blaine, where "old-country" acquaintances of his had already located. He remained at Blaine for fourteen years, being employed in the mills in that locality, and then, in 1904, came to his present location where he bought forty acres of land. The tract was densely covered with timber and brush and he at once went to work to clear it and get it in shape for cultivation. Later he bought thirty additional acres, and he now has about fifty acres under the plow. He has made many permanent and substantial improvements, including an attractive house and a commodious barn, and has tile-drained a part of the land. He gives his main attention to dairying, for which purpose he keeps thirteen good grade cows. He raises hay and grain sufficient for his stock, and he has prospered in his work.

In 1890 Mr. Jacobsen was married to Miss Elvina Jensen, also a native of Denmark and a daughter of Jens and Dorthea Maria (Christensen) Jensen, who never left their native land, both now being deceased. Mr. Jacobsen and his wife came to this country at the same time and were married soon after reaching Blaine. They are the parents of four children, namely: Mrs. Dora Otto, who died in 1910; Mrs. Nora Bishop, of Blaine; Lyle, who lives in Montana; and Charles, who died in infancy. Mr. Jacobsen is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and also belongs to the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association. He is a man of good business ability, exercising sound judgment and discrimination in all of his transactions, and is absolutely dependable in everything in which he takes part, enjoying an excellent reputation as a man of honor and reliability. He gives his support to all movements for the betterment of the public welfare and enjoys the confidence and good will of the entire community in which he lives.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 436-439.

JOSEPH LINDGREN

Joseph Lindgren, a dealer in meat, has been engaged in business at Everson for a period of six years, and he owes his prosperity to industry, honesty and perseverance, outstanding qualities of those of Scandinavian origin. A native of Sweden, he was born November 4, 1873, and was a child of six when his parents, Andrew and Charlotte Lindgren, settled in Omaha, Nebraska. In 1880 they moved to Phelps county, that state, and the father proved up on a homestead. He still lives in Nebraska but the mother is deceased.

The son, Joseph Lindgren, was reared on his father's ranch and attended the public schools near his home. For several years he followed the occupation of farming in Nebraska, and in 1905 he came to the state of Washington, purchasing property near Mount Vernon. For some time he devoted his energies to the cultivation of the soil, developing one of the productive farms of that section, and he then decided to enter mercantile life. He obtained a position with a meat dealer at Mount Vernon and later was proprietor of the Sanitary Market.. Mr. Lindgren remained in Mount Vernon until 1920, when he purchased a market in Everson, and here he has since resided. He is the owner of a slaughter-house and carries the best grade of meat. His shop is a fine one, and he receives a large share of the public patronage.

In 1896 Mr. Lindgren was united in marriage to Miss Amanda Wilson, a native of Illinois and a daughter of Anton and Anna Louise (Gustafson) Wilson. Her father was one of the pioneer agriculturists of Nebraska, subsequently migrating to Colorado, and he is now living retired at Mount Vernon, Washington. Mr. and Mrs. Lindgren have become the parents of six children. Roy H., the eldest, is associated with his father in business. He is married and has one son, Robert. Ruth married Leo Harbert, of Mount Vernon, by whom she has a son, Donald. Viola is the wife of Basil Slattery. Gladys married Lee Crosslin, of Bellingham, and they have two children, Jackie Lee and Dwain Edward. Kenneth, the fifth in order of birth, is at home, and Dorothy is attending the public schools.

Mr. Lindgren is a lover of good music and plays in the local bank. His right of franchise is exercised in support of the candidates and measures of the republican party and he is a member of the Community Club. He is a good citizen and a business man of high standing.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 40-50.

FRANK and HENRY J. MILLER

In referring to the lives and deeds of those who initiated the onerous work of developing the virgin wilds of Whatcom county, thus laying the foundation for that prosperity which now characterizes this favored section of the state, it is imperative that recognition be accorded the Miller family, which has been identified with the history of this locality from the pioneer epoch and whose members have invariably maintained the highest standard of integrity and honor, commanding unequivocal respect and esteem. The head of this well known family was Frank Miller, who was born in Hanover, Germany, in 1836, and who died at his home in this county in March, 1921, at the age of eighty-five years. He was educated in the public schools of his native land and learned the trade of a baker, which vocation he followed until he was thirty-five years of age, when he emigrated to the United States. Locating in Texas, he followed his trade there for a number of years and also spent two years in New Mexico. About 1884 he came to Ten Mile township, Whatcom county, and homesteaded a tract of land, the family stopping in Bellingham for about three months, or until he could get a place fixed up for their accommodation. The land was densely covered with timber and brush and he had literally to cut his way in from the old Telegraph road to his place. He immediately entered upon the task of clearing the tract and because of the difficulty of getting the timber out, much magnificent wood had to be burned. While engaged in clearing the land he had to work out on such employment as he could secure, in order to earn money for living expenses. As soon as he could do so he established a dairy herd, which soon became the chief support of the family, and for fourteen years Mrs. Miller picked hops during the season. He succeeded in getting a number of acres cleared and slashed much more of it, making a good farm, and they lived there until 1896, when Mr. and Mrs. Miller separated.

Mrs. Miller afterward became the wife of Fred Wendt, and they made their home on the Wendt place. Later she went to California for about two years and then returned to Whatcom county for a time. She then lived in Illinois two years, at the end of which time she returned west and lived in Bellingham for two years, Mr. Wendt dying in 1924. During all of their moving they had retained the ownership of the old Wendt homestead, which Mr. Wendt, who was an early settler in this locality, had entered. He had come to this section in 1884, the same year as had Mr. Miller, and homesteaded adjoining land. After remaining on the place two years he went to Arizona, where he remained for six years, having rented the homestead. He next went to Portland, Oregon, remaining there a year, after which he was for three years in Gaston, Oregon, and then at Forest Grove for three years. The Wendt farm was then sold and Mrs. Wendt made her home with her son, the subject of this sketch.

Frank Miller was married to Mary Walter, who was born in Texas, a daughter of John Walter, who was a native of Germany and whose wife died when the daughter was but two years old. To Mr. and Mrs. Miller were born the following children, namely: Fred, of Seattle; Mrs. Rosie Walker, of Bellingham, who is the mother of one child; Will, who died at the age of fourteen months; Bertha, who died at the age of twenty-three years; and H. J.

H. J. Miller secured his education in the public schools and was reared to the life of a farmer, doing his part in the early work of the homestead. He also worked out, being employed mainly on the Wendt place, clearing the land and carrying on dairy farming. He then bought ten acres from his father-in-law, Carl Elsner, which he afterward sold to his brother-in-law, and later bought forty acres of land across the road, the latter purchase being in 1915. In 1922 he bought forty acres more, which makes a total of eighty acres. Little of the land was cleared, but he has worked hard toward the improvement of the place and now has about forty acres cleared and in cultivation. He is giving the major portion of his attention to dairying, keeping from ten to twelve good grade milk cows, for which he raises a sufficient amount of feed on his own land. He is energetic and a good manager, the success which has crowned his efforts being well deserved.

In November, 1913, Mr. Miller was married to Miss Magdaline Elsner, who wa born in Nebraska, a daughter of Carl and Emily Elsner, both of whom were natives of Germany. Her father died December 8, 1922, at the age of sixty-four years, while her mother is still living on the Elsner farm in Ten Mile township. Further reference to the Elsner family may be found in the personal sketch of Carl Elsner, which appears on other pages in this work. To Mr. and Mrs. Miller have been born seven children, namely: Minnie, Alma, Margaret, Herman, Mary, June and Ellen. Mr. Miller's life history exhibits a career of unswerving integrity, indefatigable industry and wholesome home and social relations - a most commendable career, crowned with success. He is recognized as a man of strong and alert mentality, deeply interested in everything pertaining to the advancement of the community along material, civic or moral lines, and enjoys an enviable place in the esteem and good will of his fellow citizens.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 483-484.

MERLE A. MONTGOMERY

Merle A. Montgomery, manager and director of the Montgomery Fuel Company, successor to A. H. Montgomery & Son, one of the oldest continuing fuel and transfer companies in the northwest, with an establishment on Railroad avenue in Bellingham for more than twenty years, is a native of the Sunflower state but has been a resident of the Evergreen state since the days of his childhood and his mature interests thus ever have centered here. Mr. Montgomery was born in Parsons, Labette county, Kansas, in 1883, and in 1888 he came with his parents, Alexander H. and Abbie V. (Marshall) Montgomery, to Washington, the family locating at Chehalis. Some years later they moved to san Francisco and in 1903 came to Bellingham, where they since have resided. A. H. Montgomery was born in Chicago, Illinois, and Mrs. Montgomery in Pennsylvania. He became engaged in railway service and in the transfer business in Parsons, Kansas, and upon coming to Washington followed similar lines. Upon taking up his residence in Bellingham in 1903 he engaged in the fuel business on Railroad avenue and built up the extensive plant now carried on there by the Montgomery Fuel Company, which also has a general transfer business and maintains two wood yards in addition to its coal yard. At length A. H. Montgomery withdrew from active participation in business affairs and lived retired until his death in March, 1926.

M. A. Montgomery was five years of age when he came with his parents to Washington. He had his preparatory schooling in Chehalis and San Francisco, and supplemented this by attendance at the State College of Washington at Pullman and the State Normal School at Bellingham. He early became associated with his father in the fuel and transfer business in Bellingham as member of the firm of A. H. Montgomery & Son, a line which he since has followed, being directing head of this business since the retirement of his father, and is widely known in the trade throughout the northwest. Mr. Montgomery is a member of the Bellingham Kiwanis Club and has for years been recognized as one of the foremost personal factors in the promotion of the general interests of his home town, an active participant in many of the movements that have resulted in steady development here during more than twenty years.

On June 30, 1908, in Bellingham, Mr. Montgomery was united in marriage to Miss Lena Fegley of that city and they have five children, Hugh, Evelyn, Dorothy, Paul and Catherine. The Montgomerys have a pleasant home in Bellingham, residing at 717 Forest street, and have ever taken an interested and helpful part in the city's general social and cultural activities. Mr. Montgomery is an enthusiastic member of the local Yacht Club and owner of the yacht, the Merlena, a fifty-foot converted naval vessel with an engine of one hundred and twenty-five horsepower. He also is a member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 439.

FRANK MUENSCHER

Among the thrifty, industrious and highly respected Germans who cast their lot with the people of Whatcom county in its period of rapid development and have since prospered by their earnest industry and the application of sound business principles is Frank Muenscher, a distinctive type of the successful self-made man. He has shown himself to be a man of strong and alert mentality, deeply interested in everything pertaining to the advancement of the community along material lines, and today is recognized as one of the representative residents of the county.

Mr. Muenscher was born in Hessen-Cassel, Germany, in 1860, and is a son of George and Anna E. (Hartman) Muenscher, who also were natives of that country, where both died. The father, who was a farmer by vocation, made one trip to the United States, making an extended visit with out subject while the latter was living in Iowa. Frank Muenscher received a practical education in the public schools of his native land, and he served two full periods of two years each in the national army. He then became a railroad operator, being employed in that line of work until about 1890, when he engaged in contracting, which commanded his attention for a few years.

In 1893 Mr. Muenscher immigrated to the United states and located in Iowa, where he was employed at farm work for two years, after which he rented four hundred acres of land and farmed on his own account until 1899. He then came to Whatcom county and bought one hundred and twenty acres of land on the Hannegan road, in Ten Mile township. Some of the timber had been cut but not hauled off, and a vast amount of work was entailed in the preparation of the ground for cultivation, but eventually this was accomplished and much of the land was drained. Mr. Muenscher erected a good set of farm buildings, and he then gave his attention mainly to dairy farming, in which through the ensuing years he was highly successful. His first check for fourteen days' milk amounted to nine dollars, but he persevered along definite lines of action, and by 1918 he had achieved a position where he felt he could retire from active farm life and take things more leisurely. He and his wife then spent six months in traveling through California and Mexico, after which they made their home in Bellingham for two years.

However, Mr. Muenscher found that a life of idleness did not satisfy him, so he traded his town property for sixty acres of land, where he now lives, and to the improvement of this place he has devoted his efforts, although not with the same vital incentive that urged him on in his initial efforts in this county. He now has about twenty acres of the land cleared and has made many substantial improvements in the buildings. He and his wife are making preparations for a trip to Germany, Holland, Belgium and Austria, which will take about a year, and they will then settle down on their new farm, where he is at present giving his attention largely to dairying, fruit raising and potatoes, with a few chickens as a side line. The original homestead now belongs to his sons.

In 1890 Mr. Muenscher was married to Miss Anna Hilgenberg, who also was born in Hessen-Cassel, Germany, a daughter of Conrad and Augusta (Gerhold) Hilgenberg, the former of whom was a farmer and a butcher, and both of whom died in their native land. To Mr. and Mrs. Muenscher have been born three children: Dr. Walter C., who is a veteran of the World war, with a record of ten months of service, was graduated from the State Agricultural College, at Pullman, Washington, and from the University of Nebraska, where he specialized in agriculture and botany, and he is now professor of botany in Cornell University, at Ithaca, New York. He was married to Miss Minnie Worthen, who was born and reared at Lynden, Whatcom county, and they have three children, Elizabeth, Frank and Helen. Fritz, who lives on the old homestead, spent one full year in service at Spruce Camp, Oregon, subsequently receiving an honorable discharge. He was married to Miss Neldia Hallman and they have one child, Bernita. Carl, who also lives on the home farm, was married to Miss Irene Hallman, and they have four children, Louise, Eleanor, Margie and Carl.

Mr. Muenscher has been an active factor in the development of this section of Whatcom county, having come here in the formative period, when roads were few in number and most of them almost impassable a large part of the time; when a full day was required to go to and return from Bellingham, where they did their trading; when wild animals, such as bears, deer and cougars, roamed the surrounding forests; and when much of the finest timber had to be burned in order to get the land cleared, as it was next to impossible to get the logs and shingle bolts to market. Today there is a marked contrast to those early conditions, and Whatcom county ranks with the most advanced sections of the commonwealth. Mr. Muenscher did a great deal of free road work when he first came here and in various ways contributed to the best of his ability in the development and upbuilding of the locality. He rendered effective service as a member of the township board for nine years prior to his removal to Bellingham and also served for one year as a member of the school board of the Ten Mile district. He was one of the early members of the Ten Mile Grange and was its treasurer for many years. His activities added not only to his individual prosperity but to the welfare of his community as well, and he is a member of that worthy band of pioneers to whom the county is largely indebted for its development and progress.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 59-60.

ALVIN NELSON

Like many other of the enterprising citizens of Whatcom county, the subject of this sketch hails from Wisconsin, but enough of his active life has been spent in this locality to have given his fellow citizens ample opportunity to know what manner of man he is. The consensus of opinion is that he is a worthy citizen and an honor to his community, for he has not only been successful in advancing his individual affairs but has cooperated with his fellowmen in the advancement of all measures for the betterment of the public welfare. Alvin Nelson was born in Racine county, Wisconsin, on the 14th of October, 1889, and is a son of Andrew and Ugina (Hagensen) Nelson, both of whom were born and reared in Norway, where the father devoted himself to agricultural pursuits during the remainder of his active life. He and his wife are both now deceased.

Alvin Nelson received his education in the public schools of his native country and remained on his father's farm until he was nineteen years of age, when he started out on his own account. He was employed at various occupations until the United States entered the World war, when he enlisted in the field artillery and went into training at Camp Taylor, Louisville, Kentucky, and Camp McCullum, Alabama, being in the service about six and a half months, when he was honorably discharged. He was then at home for several months, but in 1919 he came to Whatcom county, stopping in Bellingham for a few months, and then went to Custer, where he was employed in the Dakota creek mill for three years. He then bought thirty acres of land where he now lives and he has devoted himself closely to the clearing and operation of this place. He has made good improvements on the farm, which he is devoting mainly to the chicken business, in which line success is attending his efforts. He now owns about eight hundred laying White Leghorn hens, of the Hollywood strain, and has proven himself well adapted for this profitable and interesting line of work.

On June 16, 1921, Mr. Nelson was married to Miss Thelma E. Olsen, who was born in Wisconsin and came to this locality when she was two years old with her parents, Gunder and Trina (Olsdater) Olsen, both of whom were born in Norway, the mother at Laurdal and the father near the dividing line between Norway and Sweden. After coming to Whatcom county they located on a small farm at Blaine, where the mother is now living, the father having died there in 1910. They had arrived in the United States in 1882 and on coming west had first located in Snohomish county, Washington, where they remained until 1893, when they came to Blaine and bought forty acres of land, fifteen acres of which are cleared. They became the parents of seven children, of whom four are living, namely: Gunda Olive, the wife of Herman J. Fusener, of Bellingham; John, of Blaine; Amelia, the wife of Noble McClurg, of Blaine; and Thelma E. The last named has been successfully engaged in teaching in Whatcom county for a period of eighteen years and at this time is actively engaged in school work. Mr. Nelson is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America and also belongs to the Whatcom County Poultry Association. He is a man of splendid personal qualities and by his industrious habits and upright life has gained an enviable standing in the confidence and esteem of all who know him.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 397-398.

DANIEL FORESTER NORTH

With diligence and perseverance as outstanding qualities, Daniel Forester North has attained the goal fixed by his ambition and stands deservedly high at the bar of Bellingham, faithfully executing the many trusts reposed in him. A native of Ireland, he was born in 1878, and during his childhood his parents came with their family to the United States, establishing their home in Michigan. He attended the public schools of the Wolverine state and his classical education was received in Olivet College. He was graduated from the law department of the University of Michigan in 1906 and in the following year came to the state of Washington. He arrived in Bellingham on the 6th of March, 1907, and has since practiced in the city. His professional prestige has steadily increased and his clientele has assumed extensive proportions. He acts as attorney for the People's State Bank of Lynden, Washington, and is recognized as an authority on matters pertaining to corporation law, of which he has made a close study. In this connection he has rendered valuable public service and is now city attorney of Burlington, Washington. His clear, farseeing mind enables him readily to perceive the approach of a situation inimical to the interest of the city, and he is always prepared for an emergency, discharging his duties in a highly satisfactory manner. He was appointed deputy city attorney to fill out the unexpired term of T. D. J. Healy, who retired owing to ill health, and served as city attorney of Bellingham from 1912 until 1918. He was made city attorney of Ferndale in 1918 and filled the office for six years.

In December, 1913, Mr. North married Miss Alma Hamlin, a native of Indiana. She came to Bellingham in 1901 and for nine and  a half years was a teacher in the public schools of the city. The children of this union are John W. and Vera, aged respectively six and five years. Mr. North belongs to the Twentieth Century Club and his fraternal connections are with the Modern Woodmen of America and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. He is a member of the Whatcom County and Washington State Bar Associations and his political allegiance is given to the republican party. He was one of the organizers of the People's State Bank of Lynden and has been an indefatigable worker in behalf of the Boy Scouts of America - an organization destined to become a great force for civic righteousness. Mr. North has ever been actuated by an unselfish spirit of devotion to the general good and combines in his character all of the qualities of a useful and desirable citizen.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 920.

FRANK OTTER

To a great extent the prosperity of the agricultural sections of our country is due to the industry, perseverance and economy which so prominently characterize the people from Holland who have become citizens of our country and are now numbered among our best farmers. In this class may be mentioned Frank Otter, a worthy representative of the land from which he came and now a loyal and steadfast citizen of this country. Mr. Otter was born in Holland in 1885 and is a son of Jan and Geertje (Vanderwall) Otter, both of whom also were born in Holland, where the father, who is now deceased, followed farming for many years. His widow is till living in that country, at the age of seventy-nine years.

Frank Otter secured a good, practical education in the public schools of his native country and remained under the parental roof until he was twenty-two years of age, when he emigrated to the United States. He came direct to Whatcom county, locating at Lynden, where for about two years he was employed at various occupations. Then, in association with his brothers, Harry and John, he started to farm independently. In 1912 he and Harry acquired forty acres, near the present farm, which tract they bought together, the land at that time being densely covered with brush and logs, necessitating a vast amount of the hardest sort of work to clear it off. In 1915 they bought the present farm of forty acres, on which they located in 1917, in addition to which they also bought twenty acres adjoining. Mr. Otter is giving his attention largely to the dairy and poultry business, keeping sixteen good grade Holstein cows and a splendid flock of laying hens. He has made a number of good improvements on the farm, which is one of the most desirable of its size in this section of the county.

Mr. Otter was married, in June, 1918, to Miss Stella Boersma, who also was a native of Holland, a daughter of John and Grace (Bousstra) Boersma, the former of whom died in California. To Mr. and Mrs. Otter have been born four children: Johannas, Gertie, Grace and Frances. Mr. Otter is a member of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association and the Whatcom County Poultry Association. He has taken an active part in local public affairs and is now rendering effective service as constable of Lynden township. His is the story of a life which has made good in all its relations with the world, for he had not only been eminently successful in the management of his own affairs but he has also had due regard for his obligations to the community, giving hearty support to all measures for the advancement of the public welfare. He is courteous and accommodating in his dealings with his neighbors and socially is genial and friendly. Because of these commendable qualities, he has won and retains an enviable place in the esteem and good will of the entire community in which he lives.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 442.

HON. JAMES PALMER

The Hon. James Palmer, a veteran of the Civil war, former state senator and one of the honored octogenarians of Whatcom county, has for fifty years been a definite factor in the social and civic development of the state of Washington but is now living retired in the city of Bellingham, which has been his home for nearly twenty years. He is a native of the old Pine Tree state but has been a resident of the Pacific coast since the days of his young manhood and his interests are thoroughly identified with this region. Mr. Palmer was born in Maine, in 1844, and is a son of Mr. and Mrs. James Palmer, the former of whom was born in England and the latter in the maritime province of New Brunswick in the Dominion of Canada.

James Palmer, Jr., was reared in Maine, and was seventeen years of age when the Civil war broke out. Despite his youth he was accepted for service in the Union army and went to the front with the First Maine Heavy Artillery, with which gallant command he served for three years. Upon the completion of his term of service in the volunteer army he enlisted as a soldier in the regular army and was for three years thereafter stationed on the frontier, guarding against Indian depredations in Arizona and throughout the southwest. On leaving the army he became a resident of California, where he was variously employed until in 1877, when he came to the state of Washington and took up a section of land in the vicinity of Pomeroy in what is now in Garfield county in the southeastern corner of the territory. He then became a resident of this commonwealth, which ever since he had the benefit of his services. On that pioneer tract Mr. Palmer engaged in the raising of live stock, giving particular attention to horses, and he became an extensive rancher, coming in time to have fifteen hundred acres for his range. During his residence there he was an acknowledged factor in civic affairs and served two terms in the legislature from that district and also one term in the state senate. In 1892 he came to the coast, still retaining his ranch on the other side of the mountains, however, and settled at Port Angeles, and was twice elected to represent Clallam county in the state senate, this giving him three terms in the senate, a service of value to the state. During the time of his residence in Port Angeles Mr. Palmer continued to direct the operation of his ranch in Garfield county as well as to look after the interests he had developed in Port Angeles, traveling back and forth between the two points. In 1908 he closed out all his realty interests, concentrated his investments and moved to Bellingham, where he has since made his home, now living comfortably retired at 912 Laurel street. Mr. Palmer is an ardent republican and in the days of his activity was for years recognized as one of the real leaders of that party in this state. He was chairman of the republican state convention in 1904 and has from time to time been in other ways honored by his party.

Mr. Palmer has been twice married. In the city of San Francisco he was united in marriage to Mrs. Lizzie Cross, who died in 1904, and in 1905, at Port Angeles, he married Mrs. Frances Madeline (Ward) Grant, the widow of W. H. Grant. Mrs. Palmer was born on a pioneer farm in Lane county, Oregon, and is a daughter of George R. and Elizabeth (Baber) Ward, the former a native of the state of New York and the latter of Virginia, both being members of old colonial families, who came to the coast country in 1852 and whose first child was born while they were crossing the plains in a covered wagon. George R. Ward took up lands in Lane county, Oregon, and created there a good farm which is still held in the family, being now owned by one of Mrs. Palmer's brothers. By her first marriage Mrs. Palmer became the mother of four children, all of whom are living save one, she having three daughters: Mrs. Jessie Reel of Bellingham, who has been twice married and who by her first marriage is the mother of a daughter, Gertrude Douglas; Jane Lucile, who is the wife of John Douglas of Bellingham, and they have two children, Frances and Theresa; and Gertrude, now living in Paris, France, the wife of George E. Pingree, president of the International Telephone & Telegraph Company. The Douglas brothers were grandsons of Sir James Douglas, at one time governor general of the Dominion of Canada. Mrs. Palmer is affiliated with the Methodist Episcopal church and active in the Ladies Aid Society; is a member of the Women's Relief Corps and the local chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star. Mr. Palmer is a member of the local post of the Grand Army of the Republic and is affiliated with the Woodmen of the World.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 128-131.

GERITT JOHN POLINDER

G. J. Polinder is a living example of what may be accomplished by the foreign-born citizen in this republic by industry, perseverance and thrift, even under discouraging circumstances, and he now rests secure in the respect and esteem of all who know him, because of the high ideals and honest motives which have actuated and controlled his life. Mr. Polinder was born in Holland on the 26th of September, 1862, and is a son of Kryn and Geertje (Draayer) Polinder, who were farming folk in that country, and both of whom are now deceased, the father's death occurring in 1881. Our subject attended the public schools in his home community and then worked at various employments until 1882, in the spring of which year he emigrated to the United States, going direct to Nebraska. There he worked at different occupations until 1888, when, soon after his marriage, he bought eighty acres of land, which he farmed for twelve years, grain being his main crop. In 1900 he went to Kansas, where he remained about a year, and then came to Whatcom county and soon afterward bought his present farm of eighty acres in Lynden township. About twenty acres of the land were cleared, and he has cleared the remainder, developing a fine and productive farm. The original buildings were a small frame house and one unpretentious barn, and he has replaced these with a fine, modern house and a substantial and commodious barn. He is applying his energies chiefly to dairy farming, keeping from thirty to thirty-five high grade Holstein cows, and for the past seventeen years he has kept a registered sire. He raises excellent crops of hay and grain and some sugar beets, and about thirteen years ago he put out the first field of alfalfa in this district. It made a good stand and is still producing good crops.

On January 3, 1888, Mr. Polinder was married to Miss Johanna Mary Meyer, also a native of Holland, and a daughter of Frederick and Johanna (Cwart) Meyer, both natives of that country, where they passed away. To Mr. and Mrs. Polinder have been born the following children: Fred, of Lynden, who is married and has four children; Gerrit, also of Lynden, who is married and has one child, and who was in the United States service for about two months during the World war; Mrs. Johanna Landhal, of Bellingham; Gertie, who is the wife of B. C. Vandergriend, of Lynden; Mrs. Mary Meeboer, of Lynden; and Kryn, who rents and operates a part of his father's farm.

Mr. Polinder is enterprising and progressive in his methods and his success has been well deserved, because of his earnest efforts along well directed lines. He owns altogether one hundred and seventy-five acres, the greater portion of which he now rents to his sons, practically all of the land being cleared and improved. He was one of the organizers of the Lynden Creamery and was a member of its board of directors for fifteen years, or up to the time it was sold to the Dairymen's Association. He has taken a deep interest in educational affairs and served for several years as a director of the Riverside school district. He is a member of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association, and his religious affiliation is with the First Reformed Christian church at Lynden, to which he gives his earnest support. He has been notably successful in his individual affairs, but he has not permitted the material affairs of life to interfere with his obligations to the community and to his neighbors. Because of his excellent attributes, he has long held an exalted place in the confidence and respect of his fellowmen and is rightfully numbered among the representative citizens of his locality.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 257-258.

ORIN D. POST

There is no phase of pioneer life in Washington with which Orin D. Post is not thoroughly familiar, and his achievements in the real estate field have constituted a vital force in the upbuilding of Sumas, while at the same time he has won the merited reward of well directed labor. He was born December 14, 1878, on the present site of Seattle, and his parents were Daniel W. and Lucy (Olmstead) Post, the latter a native of Roseburg, Oregon. The father was born in Iowa and migrated to Oregon in pioneer times. Later he moved to King county, Washington, settling in the district where Seattle is now located, and there passed away in 1880. His widow married M. W. Rogers and in 1883 they came to Sumas by way of the Cariboo trail. There were but two settlers here at the time of their arrival, and Mr. Rogers preempted a homestead, hewing a farm out of the wilderness.

In this frontier settlement Orin D. Post spent his youth, attending one of the primitive school houses of that period, and at the age of thirteen he began working on his uncle's farm. He was afterward employed in a shingle mill and in 1905 was appointed postmaster of Sumas, filling that office for nine years. While acting in that capacity one of the first postal savings banks in the state was opened here and the rural route was also established. Mr. Post likewise installed the international money order station, and he was one of the most capable men ever chosen to fill this position. He was cashier of the Sumas State Bank for two years and in 1915 purchased the business of the Sumas Realty & Investment Company. He has since continued in this field of activity and also writes insurance. He has done much important work along development lines and many transfers of property have been effected through his agency. His word is always to be relied upon, and the business has kept pace with the growth of the city. He has also made judicious investments in farm lands and is the owner of a fine fruit ranch near the town.

On September 23, 1903, Mr. Post married Miss Carrie S. Fry, a native of Tennessee. Her father, John L. Fry, came to northwestern Washington in 1887, casting in his lot with the pioneer farmers of Whatcom county, and is now living retired in Sumas. Arlene, the only child of Mr. and Mrs. Post, resides at home. Mr. Post is a stalwart adherent of the republican party and has been the recipient of many important trusts, all of which have been discharged with fidelity and ability. He has served on the town council, as justice of the peace and as United States commissioner, and is now a member of the local school board, doing all in his power to advance the cause of education. Along fraternal lines he is identified with the Masons, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. He was a great hunter as a boy, when the country was full of big game. His uncle was constantly on the alert for bears, which stole many of his pigs. On one occasion Mr. Post joined his cousin in a bear hunt and succeeded in wounding the animal. The bear emitted a cry of pain and in his fright Mr. Post dropped his gun. He started to climb the nearest tree but his his cousin seized his legs and neither was able to reach a place of safety. Bruin, however, ran in the opposite direction, and a few days later the young hunter discovered that his shot had proved fatal, finding the body of an extra large brown bear. Mr. Post was one of the prime movers in starting and maintaining the Sumas Roundup, which is now held every year and is famous throughout the west. He is a typical mountaineer, possessing the strong physique and study qualities of those who have lived close to the heart of nature, and is friends are legion.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 667-668.

WILL D. PRATT

Since his return from overseas service in the World war in 1919 Will D. Pratt has served as secretary of the board of education at Bellingham, Whatcom county. He was born at Oswego, New York, in 1874, his parents being Armieger H. and Harriett (Hall) Pratt, the former a native of Boston, Massachusetts, and the latter of Oswego, New York. The family is of Scotch and English extraction.

A. H. Pratt, the father of Mr. Pratt of this review, was engaged in business as a commission merchant in the east prior to coming across the continent in 1883. In the following year the other members of the family joined him in Whatcom county, Washington. The father first located at Sehome Junction and erected the Pratt property which still stands on Elk street. During the years 1885 and 1886 the mother taught in the old White schoolhouse. A. H. Pratt took up a ranch six miles above Ferndale and with the assistance of his son Will cleared eighteen or twenty acres of the place, residing thereon for five or six years. On the expiration of that period he moved into Bellingham, where he was engaged in various lines of endeavor, eventually turning his attention to the real estate business, in which he continued to the time of his retirement and in which field of activity he gained a gratifying measure of success.

Will D. Pratt, who came to Whatcom county as a boy of ten, attended the old high school at Bellingham, and after putting aside his textbooks he spent one summer as circulating agent for the Reveille. Subsequently he taught school at Roche Harbor for one year and next was an instructor in the city schools for a similar period. Thereafter he was appointed assistant postmaster of Bellingham under Hugh Eldridge, and he made a very creditable record in this office during his twenty and one-half years of service. At the time of the World war Mr. Pratt resigned his position to go overseas as a Y. M. C. A. secretary and remained in France for one year. Following his return to the United States in 1919 he was elected secretary of the board of education at Bellingham, which position he has filled most acceptably to the present time.

In 1901 Mr. Pratt was united in marriage to Miss Edna Byron, who was born at Linneus, Maine, and obtained her early education at Portland, that state. She accompanied her father and mother on their westward removal to Bellingham, Washington, about 1889, attended the old Whatcom high school and remained under the parental roof until her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Pratt and the parents of a daughter, Betty Jeanne.

Mr. Pratt gives his political allegiance to the republican party and both he and his wife are Methodists in religious faith, belonging to Garden Street Methodist Episcopal church. He is a trustee of the Young Women's Christian Association and a director of the the Young Men's Christian Association. Fraternally he is affiliated with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and with the Masons. He belongs to all the York Rite bodies of Masonry, being past master of the blue lodge, past high priest of the Royal Arch chapter and eminent commander of the Knights Templar Commandery. Mr. Pratt also has membership in the Kiwanis Club and he is widely recognized as a public-spirited, enterprising and progressive citizen of the community in which he has now made his home for more than four decades.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 69.

PAUL V. PRESSENTIN

Paul V. Pressentin, local distributor for the studebaker automobile at Bellingham and one of the leading dealers in the automobile business in this section of the northwest, has been a resident of this region since the days of his childhood, having formerly been for years a merchant in the neighboring county of Skagit, so that he has a wide acquaintance throughout this section of the state. He was born in Michigan, February 11, 1874, and was not yet three years of age when in January, 1877, his parents, Charles and Wilhelmina (May) von Pressentin, came with their family to this section of the then Territory or Washington and settled at Birdsview, then in Whatcom county. Charles von Pressentin became one of the substantial and influential pioneers of that section and when in 1883 the movement was inaugurated to create for Skagit a separate civic entity by slicing all the southern half of Whatcom and making a new county he was one of the foremost promoters of the enterprise. The tract of government land at Birdsview, for which he got title in May, 1877, was so heavily timbered that before it finally was cleared no fewer than ten million feet of logs had been sold from it. Mr. von Pressentin also profited somewhat by the discovery of gold on Ruby creek, which created a stampede in that direction that led to the organization of the Ruby creek district in 1880 and the platting of Ruby City, which at the time the plat was filed was under twenty feet of snow. However the dreams of metropolitan expansion entertained by its projectors never were realized and the once promising settlement now exists only as a memory of the pioneers. Charles von Pressentin, the pioneer, died in March, 1924, when seventy-five years of age and his widow is now residing at Birdsview. It is interesting historically to recall that she had the first cook stove seen on the reaches of the Skagit river.

Reared on that pioneer timber tract in the Birdsview neighborhood, Paul V. Pressentin grew up familiar with the conditions that faced the men who conquered the wilderness and the memories of his youth carry back to many a scene in which Indians and wild game figured most conspicuously. He continued on the home place until 1895, the year in which he attained his majority, when he became established in general mercantile business at Marblemount up the Skagit and there continued for twenty-four years or until 1919, when he sold his store and retired to Sedro Woolley, where for two years he made his home and then the lure of business called him to further commercial activities and on May 25, 1923, he bought the local agency for the distribution of the Studebaker automobile at Bellingham and has since been engaged in business here, with an admirably equipped establishment and sales rooms at 104 Prospect street.

Mr. Pressentin has been twice married. In 1898 he wedded Miss Bertha Kunde, who was born in Kansas and died in 1911, leaving four daughters and a son: Dorothea, the wife of H. N. Walker, now of Alaska; Laura, living in Alaska; Wilhelmina May, the wife of Emil Malmquist of Bellingham; Alice, the wife of Jack O'Rourke of Oregon; and Paul, Jr., at home with his father. In 1913 Mr. Pressentin married Miss Nellie Nelson, who was born at Bailey's Harbor, Door county, Wisconsin, and who has been a resident of Washington since 1913. To them two children have been born, Bernice, and Lyle. Mr. and Mrs. Pressentin are republicans and take a proper interest in local civic affairs. During the many years of his residence in Marblemount Mr. Pressentin served continuously, a period of twenty-four years, as postmaster of that place and during that period was also clerk of the school board. He was a frequent delegate to state and district conventions and gained a wide acquaintance in party circles throughout the state. He is a member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 440-441.

ROLAND C. RICHARDS

Roland C. Richards, a veteran of the World war and one of the well known young business men in Bellingham, manager of the Star Market on Harris avenue, has resided here since the days of his boyhood, a period of twenty-five years and more, and is thus thoroughly familiar with conditions here. He was born in Antigo, Langdale county, Wisconsin, November 21, 1894, and is a son of Llewellen and Mary Richards. The latter died in Wisconsin. In 1900, when he was but six years of age, Roland C. Richards came west with his father and was here reared, receiving his education in the Bellingham schools. His father later returned to Wisconsin and is now living in that state. Mr. Richards' first employment here was as a driver for a meat wagon and he gradually acquired a thorough knowledge of the retail meat business as applied to the fine trade area centering in Bellingham. When this country took a hand in the World war in 1917 he enlisted and went into the army as a member of Company I, of the Seventy-sixth Infantry, with which command he was connected until mustered out some time following the close of the war. In 1921 he was made manager of the Star market, 1106 Harris avenue, and has since been thus engaged. This is one of the oldest continuously operated meat markets in this section of the state, having been located at that stand for more than thirty-five years.

On June 30, 1921, Mr. Richards was united in marriage to Miss Frances Bloom, daughter of Frank Bloom, a member of one of the pioneer families of Lynden, this county, and they have a son, Roland C., Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Richards are republicans, interested in local civic affairs and in the general progress of the community. Mr. Richards is a member of the local post of the American Legion and is also affiliated with the Knights of Pythias and with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 732; typed by Gay Wickersham Davis.

THOMAS P. REILLY

A man who has long been prominent and influential in the advancement and prosperity of his section of Whatcom county, is T. P. Reilly, one of the most enterprising farmers of Ferndale township. His achievements represent the result of honest endeavor along lines where mature judgment has pointed the way. He possesses a weight of character, a native sagacity, a discriminating tact and a fidelity of purpose that command the respect of all with whom he has been associated and he has long held an enviable place in public esteem. Mr. Reilly was born in Richmond, Virginia, on the 12th of October, 1873, and is a son of Byran and Bridget (Irwin) Reilly, both natives of Ireland, and in their son are exemplified the characteristic traits of this sturdy race. The father came to the United States in 1852 and the mother in 1857. They located in Virginia, where they engaged in farming until 1878, when they went to Connelsville, Pennsylvania, where the father was for thirteen years employed in the coal mines. In the spring of 1891 he took his family to Tacoma, Washington, remaining there about a month and then bought and located on forty acres of land in Mountain View township, near Ferndale, Whatcom county. The land was heavily timbered and he at once set to work to clear the land and put it under cultivation. He succeeded in getting the most of it cleared and made that his home until his death, which occurred December 11, 1916. His wife passed away in April, 1895. They were the parents of three children, T. P., Mrs. Annie McCartin, who has three children, James, Henry and John; and Bernard, who was born in Pennsylvania, November, 1881, and died July 31, 1923, leaving three children, Marie, Agnes and Alice.

T. P. Reilly attended the public schools of Pennsylvania and at the age of twelve years went into the mines, being thus employed until 1891, when he accompanied his parents on their removal to Washington. He helped his father clear his ranch in Mountain View township and remained at home until his marriage, when he moved onto the ranch which his wife owned, being a part of the Jacob Matz homestead farm. This place is located along the Nooksack river, northeast of Ferndale, and is considered an unusually fine tract. In 1912 Mr. Reilly bought forty acres additional and in 1924 bought one hundred acres more of the Matz farm. The house, which was built on this property in 1879, at that time was considered one of the finest homes in Whatcom county. He now owns and farms two hundred acres of land, all of which is cleared excepting about fifteen acres. He keeps forty head of good cattle, some of which are pure-bred Holsteins, fifteen head of young stock and two pure-bred bulls. The land is devoted largely to hay and grain, the remainder being in pasture, while ten acres is in sugar beets. Oats and vetch are raised for the silos. The farm is maintained in the best condition, everything about the place being always in good order, and the ranch is recognized as one of the most valuable in this section of the county. Mr. Reilly is a member of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association and takes a deep interest in everything pertaining to the advancement of farming interests. He was one of the organizers of the Farmers Mutual Telephone Company of Whatcom County, the largest company of its kind in the United States, was its president for four years and still retains his stock in it. In these and many other ways he has shown his public spirit, always cooperating with his fellow citizens in the advancement of any measure calculated to benefit the people generally. A man of sound and mature judgment in matters of business, he is untiring in his efforts to maintain his ranch at the highest standard of excellence and has won a high reputation as an enterprising and progressive citizen.

On May 13, 1902, Mr. Reilly was married to Miss Josephine S. Matz, who was born and reared on the old Matz homestead near Ferndale, a daughter of Jacob and Thekla (Fleming) Matz. Her father was born in West Prussia, Germany, August 3, 1848, a son of Andrew and Mary (Panzke) Matz. The family came to the United States in 1869, settling in Minnesota, where Andrew Matz spent his remaining years, dying in 1901, his wife in 1913. Jacob Matz came to Washington, reaching Bellingham Bay November 21, 1872, and took up a preemption claim to one hundred and sixty acres of land on section 9, Ferndale township, and  1873 filed on a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres on sections 4 and 9, close by his first tract. He cleared two hundred acres of this land, developed a splendid homestead and devoted himself to its operation until 1912, when he sold and retired from active business life, moving to a comfortable home in Ferndale, where he is now living. He was one of the first six men to begin farming operations in Whatcom county and during all of the subsequent years he has worthily borne his share of the duties of citizenship and contributed to the development and upbuilding of the county. He was married to Thekla Fleming, also a native of Germany and a daughter of Mathias and Rosalia (Kahnke) Fleming, and they became the parents of three children: Joseph, of Bellingham, who married Miss Ida McDermott and has six children; Josephine, (Mrs. Reilly); and Albert, of Ferndale, who married Miss Eva M. Diedrich and has three children. To Mr. and Mrs. Reilly have been born ten children; Leo A., who was born February 7, 1903, and died April 9, 1909; Mary B., born August 5, 1904; James B., July 21, 1906; John T., July 13, 1908; Cecilia T., September 22, 1910; Anthony H., who was born June 14, 1913, and died in infancy; Theresa P., born October 22, 1914; Maurice J., April 21, 1918; Loretta V., May 29, 1919; and Patricia E., July 30, 1922. Mr. and Mrs. Reilly are contemplating turning over about half of their estate to the two oldest children, giving them a chance to demonstrate their ability to handle it. They have leased a part of the ranch, on which they have two complete sets of farm buildings, and are now taking things a little more leisurely. In every relation of life they have proved their genuine worth and have fully merited the place which they hold in the confidence and respect of the entire community.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 500-501.

RICHARD P. ROBERTS

The name of Richard P. Roberts is entitled to specific mention in a work of this nature, for he had long been one of the active and influential citizens of his section of Whatcom county. Mr. Roberts was born at San Pablo, Contra Costa county, California, on the 10th of August, 1863, and he is a son of Pierce and Jane (Clancy) Roberts. His mother, who was a native of Dungarvan, County Waterford, Ireland, came to this county and located in San Francisco, California, where she met and became the wife of Pierce Roberts. Her death occurred in 1876. Pierce Roberts was a native of Louisiana, where his family owned a large plantation, on which they raised cotton, sugar cane and other southern products. During the early '50's he came to California with the rush of gold seekers, making the long overland trip, and in that state he spent the remaining years of his life.

Richard P. Roberts attended a parochial school at Berkeley, California, until he reached the age of thirteen years, when he went to sea. He followed that occupation for seven years, leaving the sea when he was twenty years old, at which time he was a second mate, an unusual position for a boy of that age. He then engaged in salmon fishing in Puget sound and later turned his attention to the logging business. In 1905 he bought twenty acres of land, the nucleus of his present fine farm, and to this he added from time to time until he now owns one hundred acres of fertile and well improved land. In the course of time he turned the management of the farm over to his sons, but on the outbreak of the World war he again assumed the active operation of the land so as to permit them to enter the service of their country. When he acquired the land it was densely covered with timber and brush, but great strides have been made in the improvement of the tract during the subsequent years, about forty acres being now cleared and in cultivation, while the remainder is largely devoted to pasturage. Mr. Roberts carries on general farming operations, and the place is well stocked with milk cows, pigs and chickens. For many years he gave his attention to the raising of certified seeds, and he is now producing certified barley and Blue Bell peas, in the handling of which he has met with excellent success, there being a ready market for his seeds, the superiority of which has been well established and generally recognized.

In 1891 Mr. Roberts was married to Miss Emma Henspeter, who was born in Laporte, Indiana, a daughter of Henry and Dora (Herbst) Henspeter. Her father came to the coast in 1848 and engaged in mining in northern California and southern Oregon, later returning to Illinois. He was married in 1854, and he subsequently went to Indiana, where he engaged in the sawmill business until 1870, when he came to Washington, stopping first at Olympia. Later he went to Fidalgo island, and in 1871 he located at Semiahmoo, or Birch Bay, where he bought three hundred and twenty acres of land, for which he paid one dollar an acre. Mrs. Roberts received part of her schooling in this community but completed her advanced studies in Seattle. She died November 23, 1925. To Mr. and Mrs. Roberts were born three children: Pierce, who lives on his father's farm, has been active in the public affairs of his community and is now serving as township supervisor. He is a veteran of the World war but owing to defective eyesight, which prevented him from entering the active military service, he was assigned to the equally important work of getting out spruce lumber for airplanes, being located most of the time at Port Angeles. Ivo, who resides at home, was in the officers' training camp at the University of Washington and later was at the non-commissioned officers training school at Bellingham. Vera is now teaching school at Blaine.

Mr. Roberts has for many years taken an active part in local public affairs, having served many terms as township supervisor and for thirty years as a member of the school board, while he is now serving as assessor. Fraternally he is a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Modern Woodmen of America. He is also a member of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association and the Whatcom County Poultry Association. Mr. Roberts is able to relate many interesting incidents of the early days in this section of the country, and among his prized possessions is a picture taken about 1889, showing a logging scene, with oxen, at what is now Walnut street, near Northwestern avenue, in Bellingham. He has ably and effectively done his part in the progress and improvement of this community and has proven himself a splendid citizen, and his support has always been given to every measure for the advancement of the public welfare. Genial and affable in manner and generous in his attitude toward all worthy benevolences, he is eminently deserving of the enviable position which he holds in the confidence and good will of all who know him.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 69-70.

ANTON SIEVI

The fruits of victory are for those who dare. Possessing courage, confidence in his own powers and tenacity of purpose, Anton Sievi has accomplished what he has undertaken and is now numbered among the prosperous agriculturists of Van Wyck township. He was born January 23, 1862, on the upper Rhine, and is a native of Switzerland. His parents were Lou and Catherine Sievi, the former of whom was engaged in farming, cattle raising and butchering and always resided in the "Land of the Alps."

Anton Sievi attended the schools of Switzerland for seven years and in 1882, when a young man of twenty, sought the opportunities of the United States. He followed the occupation of farming in Illinois for two years and also engaged in the butchering business. He next went to Iowa and thence to Colorado, where he rode the range, following the life of a cowboy for some time. He engaged in the butchering business in Wyoming and subsequently resided in the states of Iowa and Wisconsin. He was connected with the meat business in St. Paul, Minnesota, and journeyed from that state to Washington, spending two years in Colfax. He located at Bellingham in 1888 and for twelve years devoted his attention to the butchering business. In 1900 he purchased his present ranch, a tract of one hundred and thirty-five acres, and now has thirty-five acres under cultivation. He raises choice varieties of fruit and also operates a dairy. He follows scientific methods and his well directed labors have brought him good returns.

In 1886 Mr. Sievi married Miss Mary Marz, who father was one of the pioneer farmers of Minnesota, and nine children were born to them: Lue, who married Miss Lena Osson and has one child; Clara, the wife of Howard Evans, of Los Angeles, California; Francis, who is a bachelor and also lives in that city; Victor and Walter, who were drowned a number of years ago while skating on Lake Squalicum; Albert of Los Angeles; Antone, who married Miss Josephine Schroeder and also makes his home in Los Angeles; Cecil, who is engaged in teaching in that city; and Marion, a student at the University of California. The sons are in the employ of a Los Angeles oil company and all hold good positions.

Mr. Sievi is a faithful communicant of the Catholic church and a stalwart republican in his political views, unswerving in his allegiance to the party. He is identified with the Woodmen of the World and his public service covers eight years of work as a member of the school board of Van Wyck township. He has a wide acquaintance in this district, in which he has resided for more than a quarter of a century, and during this period has thoroughly demonstrated his worth as a citizen.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 626-627.

CHARLES SOLBERG

One of the best known and most highly esteemed citizens of Whatcom county is Charles Solberg, an enterprising farmer of Ten Mile township and a pioneer who has done his full share in the development of the western part of the county, which he has honored by his citizenship for nearly forty years. During his residence here he has given his hearty support to all measures for the public good, and his name has ever been synonymous with honorable dealings in all the relations of life. Mr. Solberg was born in Norway in 1857 and is a son of Lars and Sophia Solberg, both of whom spent their lives and died in that country, where the father followed the vocation of a tailor. Our subject secured his education in the public school of Christiania, and at sixteen years of age he went to sea on a schooner as cook. He followed the sea until 1882, during which period, by faithful and intelligent performance of duty, he rose to be an able seaman and then first mate, in which capacity he served on four ships. Finally, after being off in London at the end of one  of his voyages, he decided to quit the sea, and took passage for the United States. He came at once to Chicago, Illinois, where he went to work for the Wabash Railroad as a section hand. He followed railroading until 1888, the last three years and three months of his service being as a section foreman on the Oregon Short Line Railroad.

In the spring of 1888 Mr. Solberg went to Olympia, Washington, from there to Seattle, and thence to Snohomish city on a small steamer, which became stuck on the bar. From there he came to Whatcom county and soon afterward bought the rights to his present place, comprising one hundred and forty-six acres of heavily timbered land, located on the Guide Meridian road. On this road the brush had been cut but no logs had been removed when our subject come here, and for three days he was compelled to pack in his provisions and tools. He then got in touch with his neighbors, Messrs. Richardson, Adams, Lawrence, King and Allen, and each contributed twenty dollars toward the removal of the logs from the road, also contributing of their personal labor in this work. On his own place Mr. Solberg first cleared a small lot, on which he erected a split-log shack, which afforded him shelter for some time, a neat and substantial house later superseding this humble home. In those early days he put in many long days of hard and untiring labor to improve his place, during which period he cut many cords of shingle bolts from his land, also doing some trading in that article. Wild game, such as bears, deer and cougars, were numerous, as were pheasants and grouse. As soon as he had sufficient land cleared, Mr. Solberg set out fruit trees, comprising apples, pears and cherries, mainly of the first named, and how has a fine, bearing orchard. He has cleared about twenty-five acres of his land and is giving his main attention to dairy and poultry farming, in which he has met with very gratifying success. He keeps seven high grade Jersey cows, for which his land produces a plentiful supply of food, while a large part of his land affords fine pasturage. In the big forest fire of 1918 Mr. Solberg's home and some of the other farm buildings were destroyed, entailing quite a loss, but he has replaced them with substantial structures and now has a very nicely equipped farm.

Mr. Solberg is a member of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association. During his early years here he was one of the most active and successful in affecting improvements in local conditions, his efforts along the line of community progress being fully appreciated by his fellow citizens. He and Mr. Richardson put through the present Smith road soon after Mr. Solberg came here, and the latter did a vast amount of free road work on this and other roads in this locality. At that time his nearest neighbors were Richardson and King, a half mile away. He did his early trading in Bellingham, the trip to that place and return requiring a full day. In getting his land in shape for cultivation it became necessary for him to do much ditching in order to secure proper drainage, but his efforts were well rewarded, for the land is now exceptionally fertile and productive. Because of his public-spirited efforts, his splendid individual success and his upright character he has long enjoyed the unbounded esteem of the entire community.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 844-845.

ANDREW STRANDELL

For more than thirty years Andrew Strandell, substantial landowner, former banker, merchant and realtor, now living pleasantly retired in Bellingham, has been a resident of Whatcom county and there are few men here who have a wider or better acquaintance throughout the county than he. Mr. Strandell is of European birth but has been a resident of this county since the days of his boyhood and accounts himself as much an American as any. He was born in the kingdom of Sweden in the year 1861, son of Lars A. Strandell and wife, and was seven years of age when in 1868 he came to the United States with his mother to rejoin the husband and father, who had settled in Iowa two years prior to that time. The Strandell family resided at Atlantic, Cass county Iowa, where Lars A. Strandell became engaged in railway service and where Andrew Strandell spent his boyhood and completed his schooling.

When he was eighteen years of age Andrew Strandell started out "on his own," working on farms. In 1881, when twenty years of age, he went to Montana and began working in the timber in the Butte country. That was before the railroad had reached Butte. He later engaged in the wood and fuel business there until 1884, when he returned to Iowa and was there married. He then bought a piece of government land in Jackson county, Minnesota, and settled down to farming and stock raising, specializing in hogs. In 1895 he disposed of his holdings in Minnesota and with his family came to the coast country, settling in Whatcom county, where he since has made his home. Upon his arrival here he got a piece of land and opened a store at the point which since has borne the name of Strandell, was made postmaster of that place, bought the sawmill that was being operated in the neighborhood and took an active part in development work there, being one of the most forceful personal factors in the labors then being carried on in that district in that behalf. On November 8, 1899, he engaged in banking opening the Scandinavian-American Bank of Strandell for business on that day, operating as a partnership under the firm name of Strandell, Olson & Company, with H. St. John Dix as the practical banker and with Mr. Strandell as second vice president and a member of the directorate. This bank was incorporated August 21, 1900. On January 14, 1901, Mr. Strandell retired from participation in the affairs of the bank, which on the following February 27 closed its doors. In 1911 Mr. Strandell, whose interests meanwhile had been expanding in other directions, moved from Strandell to Lynden, where he had his headquarters until his retirement in 1920 and removal to Bellingham, where his is now living, residing at 2236 Franklin street, where he and his wife are very comfortably situated. Since taking up his home in Bellingham Mr. Strandell has been living practically retired from business, "killing time," as he styles it, though he does occasionally renew his former activities in the realty field, buying and selling property as the opportunity for a proper turnover is presented. In addition to his home and other property in Bellingham he has a country home on a tract of forty acres most picturesquely situated about a mile north of Lawrence, where he has built a concrete dam and has a fine fish pond. He also has a fine farm of one hundred and twenty acres, cornering at the Pacific highway and the Birch Bay road, the old Madison place. Among his town holdings is the old Henry Roeder house, the first dwelling occupied by that pioneer and which long ago was moved to its present site.

It was on June 15, 1884, at Stewart, Adair county, Iowa, that Mr. Strandell was united in marriage to Miss Freda Young and to them six children have been born, namely: Sydney May and Charles Roy, deceased; Lewis Andrew, a traveling inspector of Pullman cars in the service of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, traveling out of Vancouver, who married Alice Burroughs and has two children, Freda Margaret and Kenneth Andrew; Floyd Edwin, living in New York state, where he is caretaker for a large estate, who married Muriel Sherman and has four children, Gerald Floyd, Elaine Alice, Pearl Arnold and Dixie May; George Monroe, who is operating a cafe in Spokane; and Miss Mamie E., who is (1926) attending the Southern Baptist Seminary at Fort Worth, Texas, pursuing her studies in preparation for missionary service. Mrs. Strandell, like her husband, also was born in Sweden and was but a child when she came to this country with her parents, Andrew Young and wife, the family settling at Casey, Iowa, where Andrew Young became engaged in railway service and where she grew to womanhood and was married.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 445-446.

GEORGE VAN WINGERDEN

George Van Wingerden, a member of the board of supervisors of Custer township, and proprietor of a well kept farm near Blaine, has been a resident of this state since the days of his boyhood and has thus been a witness of the development that has resulted in modern progress and improvement. He was born on a farm in Missaukee county, in north central Michigan, July 8, 1881, and is a son of Garrett and Emma (Christie) Van Wingerden, the latter of whom was born in New York state, a daughter of that Washington pioneer, Phillip Christie, a Canadian by birth, who is the late '70s had come to Washington on a prospecting tour and who after one or two trips back and forth between here and Michigan took up his permanent residence here, one of the able pioneers of this region. His last days were spent here, his death occurring in 1922 on the place now occupied by his grandson, the subject of this sketch, he then being at the great age of one hundred and four years. Mrs. Emma Van Wingerden died in California in 1913.

Garrett Van Wingerden, who is now living at Blaine, was born at Holland, Ottawa county, Michigan, and was a son of one of the Hollanders who made up the colony which settled that place. After his marriage he established his home in Missaukee county and there remained until 1888 when, following the representations made by his father-in-law, Phillip Christie, the Washington pioneer, who had taken up a tract of land in Lewis county, he disposed of his holdings in Michigan and with his family came to this state, locating temporarily at Toledo, Lewis county. A year later he went to Cowlitz county, where he remained for seven years and then, after a brief residence at Shelton, Mason county, came to Whatcom county and has since had his residence in Blaine.

By reason of the several changes of residence made by his father during the time of his school days George Van Wingerden's educational advantages were somewhat intermittent, his attendance having been divided between the schools of Michigan and of Lewis and Cowlitz counties this state. He was about seventeen years of age when he came with his father to Whatcom county and after some further schooling at Blaine he began working in the woods and was for some years thereafter employed in lumbering operations, working in the woods here and in Snohomish county. In 1904 his grandfather Christie gave him the tract of land on which he is now living and after his marriage in the next year he established his home on that place and has since been living there, finishing the clearing necessary to bring it under cultivation and otherwise improving the place up to its present standard. Mr. Van Wingerden has a well improved tract of twenty acres and gives his attention chiefly to dairying and poultry raising. He has a good herd of dairy cattle and about three hundred and fifty White Leghorns (of the Tancred strain) and is going well in his business. One of the improvements on the place is a silo of ample capacity. In addition to carrying on his own operations he has found time to take part in various other works and for three years during the season was engaged in cement construction work on the highway passing his home. He was formerly a member of the board of directors of the Farmers Mutual Telephone Company and is now a director of the Northwest Farm Loan Association and a local appraiser for that concern. He is a member of the Whatcom County Dairy Association and of the Poultry Association and in the  affairs of these mutually helpful organizations has long taken an earnest interest. He also is one of the charter members of the local grange of the Patrons of Husbandry. Mr. Van Wingerden has long been interested in local civic affairs, for three years served as clerk of the school board in his district and since 1923 has been rendering public service as a member of the board of township supervisors.

It was on July 2, 1905, in Bellingham, that Mr. Van Wingerden was united in marriage to Miss Dorabelle Wilder and to this union four children have been born, namely: Harold, born in 1908; Jessie, who died in 1919 at the age of seven years; Rhoda, born in 1915; and Eloise, born in 1920. Mrs. Van Wingerden also was born in Michigan, and is a daughter of Charles and Ida (Pittman) Wilder, the latter a native of Michigan and a member of one of the pioneer families of that state. Charles Wilder, who was a native of Canada and a substantial farmer, died in 1904 and his widow in 1910 married Garrett Van Wingerden, father of her daughter's husband. She died in 1914.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 441-442.

ALFRED H. WILSON

Earnest, purposeful and industrious, Alfred H. Wilson has progressed through the medium of his own efforts, and for more than twenty years his name has been synonymous with enterprise and probity in commercial circles of Blaine. He was born November 29, 1853, in St. Lawrence county, New York, and was but four years old when his parents, Johna and Caroline (Smith) Wilson, migrated to the middle west. His mother was also a native of the Empire state, and the father was born in Vermont. They settled in Wisconsin in 1857 and John Wilson became one of the pioneer lumbermen of that state. Later he engaged in farming and followed that occupation in Wisconsin until his death, which occurred in 1910, while his wife passed away in September, 1924.

After the completion of his public school course Alfred H. Wilson obtained work in the lumber mills of Wisconsin and later purchased an interest in a general store at Norrie, that state. He was thus engaged from 1884 until 1896 and then was in business under his own name for six years. In 1902 he located in Bellingham, Washington, acquiring a half interest in the Columbia Grocery, and at the end of two years disposed of his stock in the concern. In 1904 he allied his interests with those of Blaine, becoming owner of a grocery store which he has since operated. He never carries inferior goods and is content with a fair profit on his sales. He has a comprehensive understanding of mercantile affairs, acquired through years of practical experience, and his up-to-date methods and honorable dealing have brought him a large share of the local trade.

In 1872 Mr. Wilson married Miss Elizabeth Spencer, of Maine, and five children were born to them. Maude, the eldest, became the wife of Lewis Anderson, of Wisconsin, and they have a family of seven children. Mamie married John Shields, of Blaine, by whom she has three children. Myrtle is the wife of the Rev. C. W. Burdick, pastor of the Congregational church at Walla Walla, Washington, and they have three children. Mildred married H. C. Barney, a well known attorney of Anacortes, Washington, and they have become the parents of two children. Abbie, the youngest member of the family is at home. Lloyd and Alfred Anderson, grandsons of the subject of this sketch, fought for their country in the World war. Mr. Wilson is affiliated with the Congregational church and casts his ballot for the candidates of the republican party. He is in complete accord with every movement for civic growth and betterment and is esteemed for the qualities which have made possible his success.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 397.

Back to Biography Index

Back to Whatcom GenWeb Home Page