T. MARVIN BARLOW, D. M. D.

Dr. T. Marvin Barlow is one of Bellingham's well known dental practitioners and for more than twenty years has continuously followed his profession in this city, where his ability is widely recognized. He was born in 1876 in the state of Illinois and was thirteen years of age when his parents, Frank J. and Marie R. (Heiz) Barlow, migrated to northwestern Washington, establishing their home in Whatcom. Dr. Barlow completed a course in the Fairhaven high school and afterward attended the University of Washington, from which he was graduated in 1900. He prepared for his profession in the North Pacific Dental College at Portland, Oregon, receiving his degree in 1904, and has since maintained an office at Bellingham.

In 1903 Dr. Barlow was united in marriage to Miss Helen M. Huntoon, a sister of B. W. Huntoon, whose biography appears elsewhere in this volume. They have three children: Marie, who is engaged in teaching; and Marvin K. and Max E., both students at the University of Washington.

Dr. Barlow also figures prominently in financial affairs, being a director of the American National Bank and the Bellingham Savings & Loan Association, and receives a good income from his investments. He has attained the thirty-second degree in Masonry, is a Shriner and is also an Elk. He belongs to the Bellingham Golf and Country Club and the Rotary Club and is a republican in his political convictions. Dr. Barlow is popular in social circles of the city and lends the weight of his support to all worthy public projects. He keeps well informed concerning any new developments in his profession and is regarded as one of the leading dentists of this part of the state.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 49.

REV. JAMES F. BARRETT

Rev. James F. Barrett, one of the strong individual forces in the spread of the Catholic religion is pastor of the Church of the Assumption at Bellingham, which he has served well and faithfully for a period of thirteen years, and he enjoys in an enviable degree the respect and love of his parishioners. He is a native of Ireland and when a boy of twelve arrived in New York city. After completing his preliminary education he entered the Grand Seminary at Montreal, Canada, the largest theological school on the American continent, and was graduated with the class of 1906. He was ordained a priest and in 1906 came to Washington as assistant in one of the Catholic churches of Seattle. Later he filled a similar position at Spokane, Washington, spending two years in that city, and was next called to Sedro Woolley as pastor of St. Mary's church. While serving that parish a fine house of worship was erected through his instrumentality. In 1913 he came to Bellingham.

The Church of the Assumption was established by the Rev. J. B. Boulet and is the oldest in the city. Father Boulet was succeeded by the Rev. L. W. Perland and since 1913 the church has been under the direction of Father Barrett, whose labors have been resultant both in spiritual and temporal advancement. He has been the counselor and friend of his parishioners, always ready to assist them in solving the problems and complexities of life, and his ability, sincerity and public spirit have gained him the unqualified esteem of his fellow citizens, irrespective of their religious affiliations. The church property covers four acres and represents an investment of over three hundred thousand dollars. The school building will accommodate five hundred pupils and has an attendance of three hundred and fifty. The high school is exclusively for girls and the course of instruction is very thorough. The parsonage contains twelve rooms and the church is the largest in the state with the exception of one in Seattle. It has a seating capacity of eight hundred and a membership of fifteen hundred souls, thus exerting a strong force for moral progress in the community which it serves.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 326.

GEORGE F. BENSON

Among the up-to-date mercantile establishments that feature in Bellingham's commercial life is the Adams Style Shop, and throughout the period of its existence George F. Benson has been connected with the business, of which he has been the manager for four years. A native of North Dakota he was born September 6, 1884, and his parents, C. W. and Hannah (Lundahl) Benson, are both deceased. They settled in Bellingham in 1889, and the father was one of the early stone masons of the city, in which he left many evidences of his handiwork.

George F. Benson has lived in Bellingham from the age of five years. After leaving high school he clerked in a store, and in 1906 he obtained a position in the Adams Style Shop, which was opened in September of that year by Phil Adams, who was at one time connected with the John Lind Company of Seattle and later resided at Sedro Woolley, Washington. He came to Bellingham in 1906 and embarked in business at the corner of Railroad avenue and Holly street. He remained at that location for twelve years and in 1918 moved to the corner of Elk and West Holly streets. The store is forty-seven by one hundred and twenty-five feet in dimensions and comprises one floor and a mezzanine. Mr. Adams remained at the head of the shop until his demise in August, 1922, and Mr. Benson has since been manager. For twenty years he has labored untiringly to promote the business, giving to the firm the best service of which he has been capable, and success has rewarded his efforts. The firm carries a fine line of wearing apparel for men and boys, and a large and desirable patronage is evidence of its prestige.

In 1906 Mr. Benson was united in marriage to Miss Mattie S. Braman, a native of Michigan and a daughter of Frank and Agnes Braman, who established their home at Bellingham in 1902. Mr. Benson is connected with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Kiwanis Club, the Chamber of Commerce and the Bellingham golf & Country Club, while his political views are in accord with the tenets of the Republican party. He is loyal to his city, which he regards as an ideal place of residence, and through fidelity to duty and tenacity of purpose has risen to an influential position in its business circles.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 724.

JOSEPH P. BILODEAU, M. D.

Dr. J. P. Bilodeau, physician and surgeon, is well equipped for the exacting duties of his profession and is therefore a valuable addition to Bellingham's medical fraternity. A native of Canada, he was born in Westminster, British Columbia, April 12, 1885, and is a son of P. O. and Ellen (Murphy) Bilodeau, the former a retired merchant.

The public schools of Canada afforded J. P. Bilodeau his early educational advantages, and he afterward attended Columbia University at Portland, Oregon. He prepared for his profession in McGill University at Montreal, Canada, from which he was graduated in 1913 with the M. D. and C. M. degrees, and for two years he was in interne of the Royal Victoria Hospital. For a year he was connected with the Montreal Maternity Hospital in a similar capacity and then joined the Fifth General Hospital Corps of the Canadian army, with which he went to Saloniki, Greece, spending two years in that country. He was identified with St. Paul's Hospital at Vancouver, British Columbia, for three years and for some time was engaged in general practice in that city. He came to Whatcom county in May, 1924, and for two years was a member of the Bellingham Clinic. He specializes in obstetrical cases, and a large clientele is indicative of the confidence reposed in his professional knowledge and skill. He has opened offices for himself in the new Herald building.

In 1917 Dr. Bilodeau married Miss Maude Walker, a native of England, and since coming to Bellingham they have adopted a daughter, Betsey Ann. The doctor is a Catholic in religious faith and belongs to the Alpha Kappa Kappa fraternity. He is a member of the Whatcom County and Washington State Medical Societies and the American Medical Association. His interest centers in his profession and through untiring effort and deep study he is constantly enhancing his ability. He finds his recreation in golf.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 562.

SOLON RICHARD BOYNTON, M. D.

Dr. Solon Richard Boynton, a member of one of the colonial families of the east, is a physician of high standing and for twenty-three years has been engaged in practice in Bellingham. He was born November 9, 1879, in Carver, Massachusetts, of which his mother, Emma Frances (Merritt) Boynton, is also a native. She is a descendant of Dr. Samuel Fuller, and Englishman, who came to America as a passenger on the Mayflower, and her ancestors were gallant soldiers of the Continental army, participating in many of the important battles of the Revolutionary war. Her husband, William Otis Boynton, was born in Missouri and followed the trade of a carpenter, later studying medicine. He passed away in 1889, and his widow now resides with the subject of this sketch.

Dr. Boynton was educated in the excellent schools of his native state and prepared for his profession in the University of Boston, from which he received the M. D. degree in 1903. In the year of his graduation he came to the Pacific coast, locating in Bellingham, Washington, and he opened the first office in the Roth building. He is a general practitioner and as the years have passed his scientific knowledge and his skill in the unceasing combat with disease have brought him many patients. He was a member of the board of health for ten years, discharging his duties in a highly creditable manner, and he subordinates all other interests to the demands of his profession, in which he is deeply engrossed.

In 1906 Dr. Boynton married Miss Susie N. Crocker, a native of Carver, Massachusetts, and a daughter of Lemuel A. and Bessie (Shaw) Crocker. She is a descendant of a Scotch-Irish family represented in the historic voyage of the Mayflower across the Atlantic. Dr. and Mrs. Boynton have become the parents of five children: Ethel, Hope, Solon R., Jr., Bettie Frances and Lois. The Doctor belongs to the Whatcom County and Washington State Homeopathic Societies and casts his ballot for the candidates of the republican party, while his fraternal connections are with the Knights of Pythias, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of The Maccabees and the Woodmen of the World. He has ministered to many of the old families of this locality, drawing his practice from a wide area, and fully maintains the dignity and honor of his profession.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 257.

EDWARD LANE BRINSON, M. D.

Dr. Edward Lane Brinson, a veteran of the World war, is now numbered among the successful medical practitioners of Bellingham and concentrates his energies upon his profession. He was born July 31, 1885, in Stillmore, Georgia, and is a son of Benjamin L. and Annie (Lane) Brinson. His father is a well known planter of that state, but the mother has passed away.

Dr. Brinson attended the public schools of Georgia and was afterward a cadet at Gordon Institute, a military academy. He was graduated from the Judson Medical School of Philadelphia on the 7th of June, 1907, and acted as an interne of the Park View Sanitarium at Savannah, Georgia. He chose Seattle, Washington, as the scene of his professional activities and from 1908 until 1912 maintained an office in that city. He then moved to Acme, Washington, and in 1918 laid aside his practice to enter the service of his country. He was commissioned a lieutenant in the United States Medical Corps and was sent to the front. He was honorably discharged August 21, 1920, and has since practiced in Bellingham. He is a skillful surgeon, devoting the greater part of his time to this branch of the profession.

In 1906 Dr. Brinson married Miss Frances Foster, of Boston, Massachusetts, and they have two children: Alberta, who is the wife of Gilbert Westoby and resides in Oakland, California; and Edward Lane (II), aged eleven years. Dr. Brinson belongs to the American Legion, the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and the Bellingham Golf & Country Club. He casts his ballot for the candidates of the republican party and for two terms has been county physician, ably discharging the duties of the office. He is a tireless worker and an earnest student and keeps in close touch with the progress of his profession through his affiliation with the Whatcom County and Washington State Medical Societies and the American Medical Association.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 788.

 LOUIS F. BUCHHOLZ

One of the most enterprising and progressive citizens of Lummi island is L. F. Buchholz, who is the proprietor of the only store on the island and who has shown a fine, public-spirited interest in the welfare of the community. He is a native of Goodhue county, Minnesota, born in 1873, and is a son of P. L. and Henrietta (Phifer) Buchholz, both of whom were natives of Germany, where they were reared and married. In 1857 they came to the United States and located in Minnesota, being pioneers in their immediate locality. In partnership with a Mr. Shultz, Mr. Buchholz built and operated a flour mill at St. Anthony (now St. Paul), it being the first mill to be established there. In 1884 he brought his family to the Pacific coast, locating in Spokane and eventually going into the stock business near that city. Later he engaged in the drug business in Spokane and became a man of prominence in local business circles. He died at the age of eighty-six, and his wife when seventy-eight, both in Spokane.

L. F. Buchholz secured his education in the public schools of Spokane and Cheney, and at the age of seventeen years he engaged in railroading, working on the Southern Pacific out of Sacramento, California. In going there he rode horseback from Spokane to Truckee, California. He continued at that work for six years, at the end of which time he returned to Spokane and worked as a conductor on the Northern Pacific road until 1910. In that year he moved to Beach, Lummi island, to operate a store, and has remained here continuously to the present time. Soon after coming here  he also bought his present place, which he has cleared of the timber and brush which incumbered it. He has erected a good set of buildings and otherwise improved it until it is now a valuable and desirable property. He runs a general store, keeping a complete and well selected stock of such goods as are demanded by the local trade. Originally the post office was in an old shack on the place, but when Mr. Buchholz took it over he established the post office in good quarters, serving as postmaster for four years. At the expiration of his term Mrs. Buchholz became postmistress and has held the office to the present time, discharging the duties of the position in a commendable manner.

On April 14, 1901, Mr. Buchholz was married to Miss Pauline Loacker, who was born at Pineville, Oregon, a daughter of Frank and Christina (Witschy) Loacker, the latter of whom was a native of Switzerland and is now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Loacker came to Washington in an early day and here the father was for a while engaged in the brewery business, subsequently owning and operating a hotel in Spokane, in which city he still lives. To Mr. and Mrs. Buchholz have been born three children, namely: Ruth, who was for six years in the office of the State Normal School at Bellingham and is now connected with the University of California, at Berkeley; Gladys, who is a student in the University of California; and Raymond, at home. Mr. Buchholz has long been prominent in local public affairs and served for several years as a member of the township board. Fraternally he is a member of Bellingham Lodge No. 194, Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. He is regarded as a good business man and an excellent manager, and his relations with his fellow citizens have ever been mutually pleasant and agreeable.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 868-869.

MARTIN BÜRK

Among the earliest settlers of the Delta district of Whatcom county was Martin Bürk, who is widely known as one of the best farmers and most public-spirited citizens of his section of the county. He has lived here continuously since first locating here and has contributed in a very definite way to the development and upbuilding of this locality. He has built up a highly commendable reputation and by right and honorable living has won and retained the esteem and good will of the community honored by his citizenship. Mr. Bürk was born in Germany on the 3d of April, 1860, and is a son of Christian and Mary (Weyler) Bürk, both of whom also were natives and lifelong residents of that country, where they passed away. Of the twelve children born to them, six are living.

Martin Bürk secured a good, practical education in the public schools of his native land, after which he learned the trade of a cooper, which he followed until July, 1880, when, desiring a field of wider opportunity for personal advancement, he emigrated to the United States. On arriving here he went at once to Buffalo, New York, where he remained about a year, and then for a time was employed at his trade in Niagara Falls. He then went to Chicago, Illinois, where he remained about eighteen months, and next went to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he obtained employment in a brewery. In 1885 he journeyed to California and after stopping a few weeks in Los Angeles went to San Francisco, where he worked for a few months in a brewery. He was then similarly employed for about a year in Butte, Montana, from which place he went to Helena, Montana, where he remained about two months. In the fall of 1886 our subject and six other men started for the state of Washington, but of the number Mr. Bürk was the only one to reach their destination. In the spring of 1887 he took up a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres in Delta township, Whatcom county, the land being densely covered with brush and cedar timber. He at once constructed a small log cabin and then went to work to clear the tract and get it in shape for cultivation.

Mr. Bürk now has a nice farm and has prospered in his efforts, being numbered among the enterprising farmers of his locality. He raises hay and grain and also has a nice bearing orchard. He keeps nine good grade cows and a fine flock of laying hens. He has made many substantial improvements on the place, including a comfortable home, commodious barn, chicken house and other necessary farm buildings, while the general appearance of the place indicates him to be a man of good taste and excellent judgment. Mr. Bürk is a member of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association and the Whatcom County Poultry Association. He has always evinced a good citizen's interest in the public affairs of his community and has served for eight years as road supervisor and for two years as a member of the board of school trustees. He is deeply interested in good roads and in education, realizing their high relative importance to the prosperity of an locality, and he personally helped to build several of the first roads in the district.

On March 27, 1894, Mr. Bürk was married to Miss Mary Meyer, who was born in Buffalo, New York, a daughter of George and Elizabeth (Eckert) Meyer, both of whom were natives of Germany. The father was a linen weaver by trade but also gave considerable attention to farming. To Mr. and Mrs. Bürk have been born five children: Mrs. Elsie Pettit, born April 14, 1895, is the mother of two children - Glenn, born April 14, 1920; and Mary, born October 23, 1923. George, born October 8, 1896, never married and now lives in Alaska. Mary, born in November, 1898, is teaching school in Mountain View township. Annie, born August 28, 1900, is a trained nurse and is now in Los Angeles, California. Valentine, born March 27, 1902, remains at home. Mr. Bürk is a man of fine character, kindly and generous in his attitude toward those about him, and he stands deservedly high in the opinion of all who have come in contact with him.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 865-866.

EDWIN A. BURKITT

Edwin A. Burkitt, manager of the J. C. Penney Company department store at Bellingham, is a native of the Canadian province of British Columbia, born in Chilliwack, January 5, 1893. He is a son of John and Annie (Munro) Burkitt, the former of whom is an official of the immigration department of the Dominion government, now stationed at Huntingdon, British Columbia.

When he was fifteen years of age Edwin A. Burkitt entered upon his mercantile career as a clerk in a store at New Westminster, British Columbia, and he ever since has been actively engaged in the dry goods business. In 1917 he became connected with the J. C. Penney Company department store in Everett, this state, and in 1922 was promoted to a managerial position and placed in charge of the store of the Penney Company opened in that year in Bellingham. He has since been engaged in business in that city, with an up-to-date, well stocked and handsomely appointed establishment at Nos. 1309-11 Cornwall avenue, the store occupying a space fifty-five by one hundred and twenty-five feet in ground dimension and carrying a complete line of dry goods, shoes, ready-to-wear apparel for women, men's clothing and furnishings and the like, with a staff of about twenty-five operatives. The J. C. Penney Company stores throughout the west now number no fewer than six hundred and seventy-six, and plans are continually being forwarded for the further extension of this enormous string of retail establishments. The company was founded in Kemmerer, Wyoming, by J. C. Penney and is a close corporation, controlled by three partners, the managers of the various branch stores being recruited from the ranks of the trained sales force and invariably being residents of the towns in which their managerial functions are carried on.  It was thus that in 1922 Mr. Burkitt became a resident of Bellingham, and he has never had occasion, to regret his coming here. The Bellingham store of the Penney chain was opened on August 24 of that year, and its constantly increasing volume of sales is indicative of the high character of the management behind it.

On June 10, 1913, at New Westminster, British Columbia, Mr. Burkitt was united in marriage to Miss Kathryn Benner, who was born at Shell Lake in Washburn county, Wisconsin, a daughter of Herman Benner, and they have two children: Beverly Jean, born in 1916; and Edwin Benner Burkitt, born in 1918. The Burkitts have a fine home in Bellingham and since taking up their residence in that city have proved helpful participants in its general social activities. Mr. Burkitt is an active member of the Chamber of Commerce, deeply interested in all movements looking to local progress, and is also a member of the popular and progressive Lions Club of Bellingham. In his political views he is inclined to side with the independents, reserving the privilege to cast his ballot in favor of fitness for office rather than to be bound by the ties of partisan affiliation.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 177-178.

JOHN F. CAMPBELL

A tireless worker, John F. Campbell has steadily advanced toward the goal fixed by his ambition and is now numbered among the successful automobile dealers of Bellingham. He was born March 1, 1883, and is a native of Onondaga county, New York. The father, John B. Campbell, devoted his attention to the contracting business, and his widow, Mrs. Mary E. Campbell, still resides in the Empire state.

John F. Campbell received his education in Syracuse, New York, and in 1904, when a young man of twenty-one, entered the employ of the Franklin Automobile Company of New York. Taking a deep interest in his work, he soon familiarized himself with the business and in 1910 sought the opportunities of the west. He located in Boise city, Idaho, securing the Studebaker agency, and conducted the business for two years. He next came to Washington, choosing Seattle as the scene of his activities, and for three years was agent for the Maxwell cars. On the expiration of that period he became a dealer of the Dodge Brothers automobiles as a member of the firm of Eaton & Campbell and was thus engaged until 1918, when he sold his interest in the business with the purpose of entering the United States army. In April, 1919, Mr. Campbell came to Bellingham and has since been local agent for the Dodge Brothers cars. In order to provide better accommodations for his rapidly growing business he erected a modern brick building, which was completed June 1, 1925, and is situated at the intersection of Grand and Central avenue. The structure is seventy-five by one hundred and thirty-three feet in dimensions and has three floors, one of which is a mezzanine. Eight mechanics are required in the service department and Mr. Campbell also has four office employes, four salesmen, one stock clerk, a floorman and a janitor. He has sold over eight hundred Dodge cars in Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties, and is well informed on all new developments in connection with the automotive trade. His executive force is guided by sound judgment and his business is conducted in an honorable, straightforward manner.

On May 12, 1923, Mr. Campbell married Margaret D. Deming, a daughter of Mrs. F. L. Deming, of Bellingham, and by a previous marriage Mrs. Campbell has a son, Jack. Mr. Campbell belongs to the Arctic Club of Seattle, the Bellingham Golf and Country Club and the local Kiwanis Club. He is one of the energetic members of the Bellingham Chamber of Commerce and owes allegiance to no political faction, voting according to the dictates of his judgment. He is a fine type of the modern business man - forceful, sagacious and farsighted, and his personal qualities are such as make for popularity. He has thoroughly allied his interests with those of Bellingham and regards the city as an ideal place of residence.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 663-664.

JOSEPH C. CUMMINGS

One of the leading citizens of the western part of Whatcom county is J. C. Cummings, who, after an honorable and successful career as a farmer is now living in retirement in his comfortable home in Bellingham. He is one of the connecting links between the pioneer epoch and the present, having come here when the country was wild and sparsely settled and wild game was in abundance. He has lived to see the country developed from its primitive state into one of the leading agricultural sections of the great commonwealth of Washington, and no one has taken greater pride in its upbuilding that he. Mr. Cummings is a native of the state of Missouri, born on the 18th of March, 1854, and is a son of John N. and Eleanor Cummings, the latter of whom also was a native of Missouri. The father was born and reared in Kentucky, whence in 1827 he went to Missouri as a pioneer, homesteading a tract of land, out of which he created a good home, and there spent the remaining years of his life.

J. C. Cummings attended the public schools of Missouri, and at the age of fifteen years he crossed the plains from Abilene, Kansas, to Montana on horseback, in company with two uncles, Nathaniel and William Woods, driving a band of fifteen hundred head of cattle. It was a slow and tiresome journey, requiring three months and eleven days. Mr. Cummings remained in Montana for two years and then returned to Missouri. He subsequently went to Iowa and there again attended school, completing his interrupted studies. After remaining there a few years, he once more returned to Missouri, where he lived a few years and then went to Monterey county, California, where he became foreman on a big dairy ranch, where seven hundred and fifty cows were handled. A few years later he went to Oregon, locating in the Umpquah valley, where he remained for two years. In 1887 he came to Washington and helped in the construction of the Northern Pacific Railroad over the Cascade mountains. On the completion of that work he came to the Sumas valley, Whatcom county, and filed a homestead claim of one hundred and sixty acres, two miles southeast of Sumas. Here he built a log cabin and began clearing the land of the timber and brush which covered it. He lived there for six or seven years, and during that period he also gave considerable attention to the wild game, trapping beavers in the swamps and shooting numberless grouse, and he killed three bears one Sunday. In 1896 he sold that place and in 1908 bought twenty acres of land near Laurel, which he cleared and farmed until 1915, when he retired and moved to Bellingham, where he owns two good residence properties. Despite his years of untiring labor and the strenuous life of a pioneer, Mr. Cummings is still a man of remarkable vigor, never having been sick. He has been a keen observer and can tell many interesting stories of the early days in this county, as well as of those earlier years when he was on the great plans, where buffalo roamed in herds of thousands. He is a friendly and genial man, with whom it is a pleasure to associate.

On November 6, 1894, at Salem, Missouri, Mr. Cummings was married to Mrs. Alice E. (Bigelow) King, who was born in Missouri, May 31, 1853, a daughter of Rufus and Henrietta Elizabeth (Eversman) Bigelow, the former of whom was a first cousin of Daniel Boone, the noted frontiersman and Indian fighter. Mr. Bigelow was for many years successfully engaged in the mercantile business at Salem, Missouri, after which he turned his attention to farming, and later went to Oklahoma, where he homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land. At one time the Bigelow family owned twelve hundred acres of land in one body there. In that state his death occurred July 10, 1908, at the age of eighty-four years, while his wife died June 30, 1908, at the age of seventy-eight years. They were the parents of ten children, namely: Granville O., deceased; Jonathan B., who lives in Oregon; Alice E., the wife of the subject; Louis A., deceased; Martha E.; Edwin Cuthbert, who lives in Oklahoma; Mrs. Adeline E. Huff, deceased; James R.; Mrs. Lena Drury, deceased; and Rudolph Augustus. Alice E. Bigelow was first married December 31, 1874, to Charles T. King, who was born at St. Louis, Missouri, January 6, 1846, and to their union were born three children, namely: Annas W., who died November 7, 1884; Virgil L., who died February 21, 1884; and Maud, who died August 28, 1884. Mr. King died November 6, 1884, and thus Mrs. King was bereaved her husband and three children within ten months. Mr. and Mrs. Cummings have a daughter, Mrs. Alice Jewell Gooding, who was born in Whatcom county, Washington, May 19, 1896, and is the mother of two children: Donald Paul, born July 22, 1919; and Lilah Mae, born April 19, 1925. Mrs. Gooding was graduated from the Laurel high school and from the State Normal School at Bellingham, after which she taught school for three years prior to her marriage. Mr. Gooding, who is a newspaper man and a writer of considerable note, has traveled extensively over the world and is now living in Bellingham.

Mr. Cummings is a man of sterling qualities of character, is deeply interested in the leading issues of the day, on which he holds decided opinions, and has long been held in the highest regard by his host of warm and loyal friends, who esteem him for his genuine worth as a man and a citizen.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 901-902.

JAMES P. DELP

Back to the old Keystone state must we turn in tracing the lineage of J. P. Delp, one of the influential and highly esteemed citizens of Delta township. That section of the country, which was the cradle of so much of our national history, became the home of his ancestors in an early day, and he seems to have inherited many of their sterling characteristics, for his life has been one of integrity, industry, forbearance and generosity. Mr. Delp is a native of Pennsylvania and was born on the 19th of October, 1864, a son of Guyer and Elizabeth (McKinney) Delp, both of whom also were natives of Pennsylvania, where they followed farming pursuits. They were the parents of five children, three of whom are now living, namely: Anthony, Susanna and J. P. The last named attended the public schools of his native state and remained on the paternal farmstead until he was twenty-five years of age.

After his marriage, which occurred in 1890, Mr. Delp bought seventy acres of land near New Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to the operation of which he devoted his attention until 1902, when he came to Washington, locating in Clarkston, eastern Washington, where for three years he was employed by the power company. Mr. Delp then went to Seattle, Washington, where he went to work for the Stone-Webster Company on the street railway lines as emergency man. He held that responsible position for sixteen years and then bought eighty acres of land in Delta township, three miles west of Lynden, a part of the old Weidkamp homestead. About thirty-five acres were cleared, in addition to which he has cleared fifteen acres, and on this land he raises bountiful crops of grain and hay. The family still lives in the commodious and comfortable old log house which was built by Mr. Weidkamp. Mr. Delp keeps ten good grade Guernsey cows, which return him a handsome income. He is a thoroughly practical farmer and no one in the community excels him in farming. Last year, though a dry season, one wheat field yielded an average of forty bushels to the acre. He keeps about two hundred laying hens and also a flock of turkeys, and in the handling of both has been very successful. He does thoroughly and well whatever he undertakes and has gained a splendid reputation in his community as a wide-awake and hustling business man.

On April 17, 1890, Mr. Delp was married to Miss Loma Womeldorf, who was born and reared in Pennsylvania, a daughter of Isaac and Melinda (Hepler) Womeldorf, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania, where the father died in 1909, being survived by his widow, who is now eighty-four years of age. Of the eleven children born to them, six are now living: Amanda, Mary, Loma, Jennie, Wallace and Belle. Mrs. Delp's maternal grandfather, Daniel Hepler, homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land near New Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, about 1815, being a pioneer of that locality, and the land was covered with timber when he first occupied it. It was cleared and developed into a good farm and is still in the possession of the family. Mr. and Mrs. Delp are the parents of one child, Charles C., who was born near New Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, February 19, 1891. He received his education in the public schools of eastern Washington and also was graduated from a business college in Seattle. He has been a member of the police force in Seattle for the past ten years. On March 14, 1918, he was married to Miss Lillian Magnus and they have a daughter, Betty Jean, born December 14, 1919. Charles Delp is a veteran of the World war, having enlisted in September 1917. He was assigned to the Veterinary Corps, with which he served until the close of the war, when he received an honorable discharge.

J. P. Delp is a member of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association and the Whatcom County Poultry Association. He is essentially public-spirited, supporting every measure for the betterment or advancement of the local welfare and contributing generously to the various benevolent and charitable organizations of the community. He possesses a friendly and genial disposition, is kindly and hospitable in his social relations and is deservedly popular throughout the range of his acquaintance.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 196-197.

JOHN WALTER DOUGLAS

The life history of John Walter Douglas is a record of successful achievement and indicates what may be accomplished by tenacity of purpose and unceasing effort, when guided by enterprise and sound judgment. He has made his home in Acme township for more than a quarter of a century and has developed one of its finest farms. He was born October 1, 1876, in Ontario, Canada, and his parents, William and Isabel (McHattie) Douglas, are both deceased. The father was also born in the province of Ontario and the mother was a native of Scotland.

John W. Douglas was educated in the public schools of Ontario and spent his youth in the Dominion. In 1899 he came to Whatcom county and worked for some time in the lumber camps near Acme. When he had accumulated sufficient capital he purchased a tract in the township and is now the owner of one hundred and twenty acres of fertile land. His well tilled fields yield abundant harvest, and he also operates a dairy. His place is improved with good buildings, and his methods of farming are both practical and progressive.

In 1909 Mr. Douglas married Miss Mabel E. Stephens, a daughter of Thomas H. and Mary F. (McDaniel) Stephens. Her father was born in England, and in 1884 he entered a homestead in Acme township, which was then a frontier district containing only a few settlers. Mr. and Mrs. Douglas have three children: Donald, a high school student, and Myrtle and Marjorie, who are attending grammar school. Mr. Douglas is connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and casts his ballot for the candidates of the republican party. He filled the position of road boss and for three years has been a member of the school board. He is always ready to serve his district when needed and possesses those sterling qualities which never fail to arouse admiration and win respect.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 764.

FRANK L. DU PRAW, D. C.

Dr. Frank L. Du Praw, Bellingham's pioneer chiropractor, has practiced in the city for twelve years with marked success, clearly demonstrating the effectiveness of this science in coping with disease. He was born January 9, 1880, in Saginaw, Michigan, and is of French descent. Dr. Du Praw attended the public schools of his native city and subsequently entered the Palmer School of Chiropractic at Davenport, Iowa, graduating with the class of 1913. He began his professional career in Iowa but at the end of six months came to Washington and since 1914 has maintained an office in Bellingham. He has acquired expert skill in his work, which is entirely with the spine, and enjoys an extensive practice, drawing his patients from a wide area.

Dr. Du Praw gives his political allegiance to the republican party, for he deems that its policy best conserves national prosperity and promotes public stability. Along fraternal lines he is connected with the Knights of Pythias and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. His is a member of the state and national associations of chiropractors and takes a deep interest in every movement that tends to raise the standards of his profession or promote the efficiency of its representatives. Dr. Du Praw is devoted to his patients and has been uniformly successful in his efforts to restore health.

"Like many another fundamental truth, the chiropractic principle was discovered by accident. After exhaustive research its founder was at last convinced that he had definitely established a living philosophy, a sound science and a practical art. For a time the potential power of his idea was overwhelming and caused him to believe that the world could never be brought to accept such a radical departure from established thought.

"The founder of chiropractic was the late D. D. Palmer, Canadian born and reared in the sturdy northwest. He was educated for and followed the vocation of magnetic healing, and the world today owes its gratitude to this splendid old character whose incessant delving into the cause of disease led him painstakingly to the principles of chiropractic - principles, by the way, which now lead a profession of thousands of chiropractors in the United States, Canada and many foreign lands.

"The first chiropractic adjustment was given in 1895 to a man of impaired hearing. An analysis disclosed a pronounced subluxation in the upper region of the spinal column. By adjustments the misaligned vertebra (small bone in the spine) was restored to its normal relations, and soon the man could hear as before.

"The discovery of chiropractic was, then, an accident and, temporarily, a secret; its progress, however, was very largely the result of patient and intelligent inquiry by this earnest investigator of truth. By the greatest good fortune, this wonderful philosopher revealed his phenomenal idea to his son, B. J. Palmer. It is through the activities of his son that today the world's sick and afflicted are helping to prove the blessings of chiropractic.

"This grand old man did not live long enough to realize the full measure of his discovery; he was destined never to know the satisfaction of the world-wide acceptance of the 'big idea'; he never conceived the spontaneous elation of the multitude who have been fully restored to health and happiness.

"Yes, D. D. Palmer had a great secret; greater than he ever knew. And there are millions today who have reason to thank God for one man who first realized its latent possibilities. That man was his son, B. J. Palmer, now president of The Palmer School of Chiropractic. He has spent the best part of his life in developing his discovery into a specific science, philosophy and art, and there are hundred of thousands of men, women, and children who have been restored to happiness and health through taking chiropractic adjustments. Chiropractic now stands head and shoulders above and of the other drugless sciences in the world, and in the United States is recognized by most of the states."

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 854 -857.

EDWARD ELDRIDGE

Edward Eldridge, who is his generation was one of the most conspicuous personal factors in the development of the Bellingham community, was born in the important seaport town of St. Andrews on the North sea in Fifeshire, Scotland, December 7, 1829, and from the age of eleven years followed the sea, in time becoming a licensed navigator. At one time what came near to being a tragedy was averted by a spell of sickness, for he had signed on to go with Dr. Sir John Franklin's expedition in search of the north pole, but was in a hospital when the little fleet sailed away never again to return. His first trip to America was made in 1846, he then being a youth of seventeen, a member of the crew of a vessel carrying mahogany from Honduras. He later came inland and was for a time a sailor on the Great Lakes. When word of the gold strike in California aroused the spirit of adventure in the breasts of young men in all parts of the world he, with many other sailors, became interested. Meanwhile he had left the Great Lakes and again was sailing the seven seas, and when the vessel on which he was in service, the Tonquin, put in at the port of San Francisco in October, 1849, he signed off and followed the stream of gold seekers into the Yuba fields. He spent a year in the gold fields and then returned to the sea, signing on as second mate of the Tennessee of the Pacific Mail line in the coastwise service between San Francisco and Panama. On one of his trips in this service in 1851 he met Teresa Lappin and their marriage followed not long after their arrival in port. Following his marriage Mr. Eldridge resigned his mate's ticket and with his bride went into the gold fields about Yreka, but fickle fortune failed to favor him there and he presently decided to return to the sea, intending to take up mining in Australia. While waiting in San Francisco to complete detail of this plan he came in touch with Captain Henry Roeder, a former Great Lakes captain whom he had known when in service on the inland seas, and the latter persuaded him to abandon the sea and the Australian mining project which he had in mind and join with him in the timber development in which he had become engaged in the Bellingham Bay country. The prospect was alluring and it was thus that Edward Eldridge and his wife and baby girl in 1853 became numbered among the first settlers in Bellingham, locating at Captain Roeder's mill.

Mrs. Teresa (Lappin) Eldridge, who was born in Ireland, June 24, 1832, came to this county in 1850, landing at the port of New York. In the next year (1851), in response to the call being sent back east from California for young women to come out and help people [in] the new coast state, she joined a numerous party of young women who left New York, taking passage via the Isthmus, to become part of the wonderful new community then growing up at San Francisco. Edward Eldridge was the second mate of the vessel on which she made the trip up the coast from Panama, and, as noted above, they were married not long after their arrival in San Francisco and in 1853 settled at Captain Roeder's mill on Bellingham bay. Mrs. Eldridge was the first white woman to settle on that site, and she became a power for good in the new community. She endeared herself to all and her name will ever be held in precious memory there. With her, upon her arrival here, was her firstborn, a daughter, Isabella, who was born at Yreka, California, and who in the course of time married J. J. Edens, in his generation one of the forceful figures of the neighboring county of Skagit, and a state senator from that county, both now being deceased. Her first child born here was a son, Edward, named for his father. He was born in August 1855, one of the first white children born in the Bellingham settlement, and died when a boy of thirteen, in 1868. The next child, Alice, also born in Bellingham, married James Gilligan of Skagit county, and died in February, 1886. Then came Hugh, who is now the sole survivor of this interesting pioneer family. The honored pioneer mother died at her home in Bellingham, May 10, 1911, she then lacking about a month of being seventy-nine years of age. She had survived her husband for almost twenty years. Her funeral services were solemn and impressive, and it may be truly said that they were participated in by the entire population of the city, as business was suspended, flags were at half-mast and thousands lined the streets to gaze on the cortege and pay the last tribute of love and respect to the venerable lady.

Upon coming to Bellingham, Mr. Eldridge took up a donation claim of three hundred and twenty acres of land adjoining the claim of Captain Roeder and fronting on the bay, and in addition to his service in helping to erect and operate the big sawmill, he began to develop that tract, which as the community grew became a part of the town site and the foundation for the considerable fortune which rewarded Mr. Eldridge's enterprise and public spirit, creating an estate to which in time he was succeeded by his son, Hugh Eldridge, who has in many ways promoted and expanded it. Edward Eldridge, became one of the forceful factors in local development work along other lines, not only in lumbering, as a member of the firm of Bartlett & Eldridge, but in general commercial and industrial lines and in railroad building. At the time of his death he was the president of the Bellingham Bay National Bank, president of the Bellingham Bay Gas Company, president of the Bellingham Bay Land Company, president of the Bellingham Bay & Eastern Railway Company, a director of the Fairhaven & New Whatcom Street Railway Company and of the Puget Sound Loan, Trust & Banking Company, and president of the Bellingham Bay Water Company.

In civic affairs he also took a prominent and influential part and rendered public service in various capacities. He was a member of the territorial legislature from this district and the territorial constitutional convention at Walla Walla. Upon the adjournment of this convention, a Walla Walla paper, in summing up the capabilities of the various members, said of Edward Eldridge, "He was the Jeffersonian of the body on parliamentary tactics and in all things the Nester of the convention."  In 1889 he was a member of the state constitutional convention at Olympia. When this convention met John Miller Murphy, editor of the Washington Standard published in Olympia, is giving a resume of the various members, said of Mr. Eldridge, "Who is this that comes from Hara, not with kingly pomp or pride but a great free son of nature, lion-souled and eagle-eyed? Edward Eldridge is indeed lion-souled in standing by his convictions and eagle-eyed in looking after the interests of his constituents. A better parliamentarian never sat in a legislative body." In 1892 he was a delegate to the Republican national convention held that year in Minneapolis and was ever one of the most influential leaders in the councils of that party in this district and state. In local offices he also did his part well, for he rendered service at one time and another as a member of the board of county commissioners, as county auditor and as county treasurer and also for some time was deputy collector of customs in this port. It has been written of Edward Eldridge's civil served that "he never wooed public office and responded to the call of his fellow citizens in the spirit of duty." Indeed, he might have had a brilliant political career but for his positive stand on all questions in which he believed, regardless of their popularity with the masses. He was an ardent believer in women's suffrage and about the first public man strongly to advocate it in Washington territory. This question was very unpopular at that time, particularly among the foreign element which in early territorial days was practically dominant. He therefore, devoted himself to his manifold business interests and his love of literature. It is said that he was a democrat up to the time news came verifying the report that Fort Sumpter had been fired upon. Then he repudiated the party as the author of rebellion and never returned to its ranks. As a republican he was not a bitter partisan, but a conscientious worker and a broadminded citizen.

Edward Eldridge died at his home in Bellingham October 12, 1892, he then being about two months under sixty-three years of age, and at his passing left a memory that long will be cherished in this community. Reference has been made above to his love of literature. His studious habits grew as his condition in life gradually became easier and he surrounded himself with one of the most thoughtfully selected private libraries in the state and with the contents of which he had a students' familiarity. This library constituted one of the chief attractions of his beautiful home and it has been a matter of unceasing local regret that not long after his passing this home, together with the library of thousands of choice volumes, was destroyed by fire. Following the passing of Mr. Eldridge the press of the state commented widely and in the most complimentary terms upon the character of his life and upon his service to the commonwealth. One of these commentators observed very fittingly that "every changing condition found him ready and in the forefront of progress. Whether is was a matter of personal enterprise or of public weal he was active, wide-awake, constructive all the time."Another observed that "the extent of his influence and work is almost immeasurable. There is practically no phase of the development of the Bellingham Bay district with which he was not closely associated, and his labors were of even greater extent, for his business connections reached out into other quarters and his activities touched the general interests of society, leaving their impress not only upon the development of the hour but upon future growth and greatness. To realize what were his early surroundings and his almost utter lack of youthful advantages and opportunities is to come to some understanding of the splendid work he accomplished - building a fortune, but building even better than that - a character that would bear the closest investigation and scrutiny and which shone most resplendent in the clear light of day."

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 10-16.

ULRIC S. FORD, M. D.

For six years the residents of Everson have had the benefit of the professional skill of Dr. U. S. Ford, who represents one of the prominent families of the state and is doing valuable work as a physician and surgeon. A native of Canada, he was born in Calgary, Alberta, August 16, 1887, and is a son of W. H. and Kate (Peake) Ford, the former a native of Missouri. Nimrod Ford, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was a Montana pioneer, and W. H. Ford was reared and educated in that state. He became the owner of a livery stable, also operating a stage line, and was later a merchant. He went to the province of Alberta, spending some time in Canada, and in 1890 brought his family to Everett, Washington. He maintained his home in that city for four years and in 1894 entered the lumber business at Arlington, Washington, where he conducted a mill. He was a candidate for the office of secretary of state of Washington in 1912, and he is now living retired in Seattle. His wife was born in Michigan and has passed away.

Dr. Ford was but three years old when his parents came to Washington. After his graduation from high school he took up the study of dentistry but abandoned his idea of following that profession. He completed a course in the University of Pennsylvania, from which he received the M. D. degree in 1918, and served as an interne of two hospitals in Pittsburgh. Returning to the Pacific coast, he opened an office in Seattle and a year later located in Oregon, but remained only a short time in that state. He has since resided in Everson since 1920 and is the only physician in town. With a thorough understanding of the science of medicine and surgery, he is well equipped for the combat against disease and has been very successful in his efforts to restore health, enjoying a large practice.

In 1920 Dr. Ford married Miss Hazel Malmberg, of Moline, Illinois, and to their union has been born a daughter, Beatrice Jean. He served in the Medical Reserve Corps of the United States army during the World war and belongs to the American Legion. He is connected with the Masonic fraternity and the Community Club of Everson, being president of the latter organization. His political views are in accord with the platform and principles of the republican party. Dr. Ford has a high conception of the duties and obligations of citizenship and is a young man whom to know is to esteem and admire.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 739.

S. NELSON FRIBORG

This is an age when the farmer stands preeminently above any other class as a producer of wealth. With the assistance of nature's gifts of the winds, warm air, sunshine and refreshing rains, and the application of his own effort and skill, he is, under normal conditions, the most independent man on earth, and on the tiller of the soil the human race depends for its very life. In this worthy class stands S. Nelson Friborg, of the vicinity of Blaine, who through his persistent industry, directed and controlled by sound judgment, has realized a splendid measure of prosperity. He is a native of Jutland, Denmark, born in 1888, and is a son of N. Nielson and Annie (Sorensen) Friborg, the latter of whom is still living in that country. The father, whose death occurred in April, 1924, was a farmer by occupation and also, for twenty years, served as a mail carrier.

S. Nelson Friborg secured his education in the public schools of his native land and in those of Whatcom county. He remained at home with his parents until he was seventeen years of age, when he emigrated to the United States. He came at once to Stanwood, Whatcom Skagit county, where lived an uncle, Anton Nelson, and he remained there for a time, working on the farm, after which he obtained employment in the Henry Becker shingle mill, at Camano island, where he remained about a year. Then for several years he was employed in logging camps in Oregon, after which he went to the woods of British Columbia, where he remained for a number of years. In 1920 Mr. Friborg bought sixty acres of land, comprising his present home, sixteen acres of which were cleared. He has cleared about five acres more and now has a fine and well cultivated farm, the tract having originally been a part of the John F. Tarte homestead. Here he is carrying on dairying, having a fine herd of thirteen Jersey cows, some of which are registered stock, and he has met with splendid success in that line. He is also gradually getting into the chicken business, owning two hundred laying hens, which number he expects to increase greatly in the near future. He raises good crops of hay and grain, keeping his fields in excellent shape and paying due attention to the fertility of the soil. When he bought the farm the house and barn were not in good condition, but the improvements made by him since coming here have transformed the place into one of the best farms in this locality.

In 1918 Mr. Friborg was married to Mrs. Nellie (Ridgeway) Hill, who was born and reared in Garfordsville, Oregon, a daughter of E. R. and Annie (Earle) Ridgeway, the former a native of Illinois and the latter of Oregon. Mrs. Ridgeway was a member of the Powell family, which was numbered among the earliest pioneers of Oregon, they having come to California in 1849, going thence up into Oregon, where they made permanent settlement. E. R. Ridgeway came to Oregon from Montana in his young manhood. By her first marriage Mrs. Friborg had a son, Lindsay Hill, who works in the woods. Mr. Friborg has one of the most valuable farms in this locality, due entirely to his persistent and well directed efforts. On his place is a cherry tree that was planted the year the land was homesteaded by Mr. Tarte, some time in the late '70s, and it is still bearing splendid fruit. By his consistent and well ordered life Mr. Friborg has gained a high place in the respect and esteem of his fellow citizens. He cooperates with them in the furtherance of every measure calculated to advance the best interests of the community, and he has long been regarded as one of the dependable and reliable men of the locality.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 420-421.

ROLAND GREENE GAMWELL

An amateur floriculturist of national repute, Roland Greene Gamwell also enjoys the distinction of being Bellingham's pioneer realtor. In both the paternal and maternal lines he is descended from a long line of worthy ancestors who rendered good service to the nation during the formative period in its history. A son of Albert A. and Phoebe (Greene) Gamwell, he was born July 25, 1863, and is a native of Rhode Island. His father was a professor of literature in one of the colleges of Providence, Rhode Island, and was also an author of note. He was a member of an Irish family that was founded in New England early in the eighteenth century. The Greene family originated in the south of England, and John Greene, surgeon, the American progenitor, made the voyage to the new world in 1635. He was one of the founders of Rhode Island and the land on which he settled has been in possession of the family for nearly three hundred years. Members of both the Greene and Gamwell families were soldiers in the Revolutionary war and valiant defenders of the cause of American independence.

In 1884, in company with his brother, Roland G. Gamwell made a tour of Europe on the old high-wheeled bicycle which was then in vogue. They were the first to cross the Alps and to traverse Spain and the Azores islands by this method of transportation, and the feat was greatly admired by the Europeans, who marveled at the "incredible speed" of their bicycles. After his return to the United States Mr. Gamwell completed a course in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, from which he was graduated in 1886 with the degree of Electrical Engineer. In the same year he entered the employ of the Prudential Life Insurance Company and in 1889 came to northwestern Washington, arriving in Bellingham on the 15th of August. He opened a real estate office and for thirty-six years has been engaged continuously in this business, also writing insurance. He has been connected with important development projects and is exceptionally well informed concerning property values in this locality. He is frequently consulted by those desirous of investing in real estate and his judgment is always to be relied upon. He has always maintained a position of leadership in the lines in which he specializes, and his business is now located at No. 1231 State street.

On October 9, 1890, Mr. Gamwell married Miss Helen Thacher, a native of Boston and a daughter of Thomas and Maritta (Borden) Thacher, both of colonial stock. The founder of the Thacher family in America crossed the Atlantic in 1635 and was a fellow passenger of John Greene, previously mentioned. To Mr. and Mrs. Gamwell was born a daughter, Hester, now the wife of Glen C. Hyatt, of Vancouver, British Columbia, and the mother of one child Caroline Billings Hyatt.

Mr. Gamwell is a stanch republican in his political views and has always been among the foremost in projects for civic improvement. He was made park commissioner and laid out the named Elizabeth park, of which Bellingham's residents are justly proud. He is a great lover of flowers and has one of the finest amateur collections of roses and irises in the northwest. At several flower shows in the northwest he has been awarded the gold medal for the best exhibit, and he has done much to arouse an interest in the propagation of fine bulbs. He is widely known as an authority on floriculture, a subject on which he has delivered many lectures, also contributing numerous articles to leading magazines. Mr. Gamwell has been judge of the Portland rose show for a period of fifteen years, and for eighteen years he has been chosen to render the final decision regarding the merits of flowers at practically all of the large exhibits in the northwest. Keenly interested in aquatic sports, in 1890 he formed the Fairhaven Yacht Club, the first on Bellingham bay, and has filled all of its offices. He is a charter member of the Kulshan Club and the only one of the original members of this club, which is the oldest social organization in the city, who still retains his membership. He is also a charter member of the Bellingham Golf & Country Club and the Cougar and Hobby Clubs. Mr. Gamwell founded the Bellingham lodge of Elks, of which he is a past exhalted ruler, and has been district deputy grand exhalted ruler. He has served as president of the Washington State Association of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and is now a member of the grand lodge. He is also identified with the Knights of Pythias and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. A man of tireless energy, his life has been one of intense activity and usefulness, and the scope of his interests indicates the breadth of his mind and the spirit by which he is animated. He is the possessor of a pleasing personality and a frank, genial nature that have won him countless friends throughout the Pacific coast region.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 719-720.

ALEXANDER GILLIS

Faithfulness to facts in the analyzation of the character of a citizen of the type of Alexander Gillis, of Nooksack township, is all that is required to make a biographical sketch interesting to those who have at heart the good name of the community, because it is the honorable reputation of the men of standing and affairs, more than any other consideration, that gives character and stability to the body politic and makes a community respected in other localities. Among the substantial and influential citizens of Nooksack township none take precedence over the subject of this sketch, for he has not only been successful in his own affairs but he has been an important factor in the development and prosperity of the community with which he has been long identified. Mr. Gillis is a native of Prince Edward island, Canada, and his birth occurred on the 8th of May, 1856. He is a son of John and Catherine (Fraser) Gillis, the former of whom was born on the island of Skye, Scotland, and the latter a native of Prince Edward island. After coming to Prince Edward island the father followed the occupation of farming during the remainder of his life, and he and his wife died there. They were the parents of eight children, namely: James, who lives in Canada; Murdock, who lives in Seattle, Washington; Alexander, the subject of this sketch; Christina B.; Flora, deceased; John A., deceased; Annie; and John, who lives in Canada.

Alexander Gillis was educated in the Bell River school in his native island and remained at home until 1881, when he came to the United States. He first located in North Dakota, where he remained for a few months, and then went to work for the Northern Pacific Railroad out of St. Paul, Minnesota. He was thus employed about a year, helping to construct the road through Montana, and then came to Tacoma, Washington, and went to work for Ezra Meeker, the old pioneer, working in the hop fields until 1887. He then came to the Nooksack valley and bought sixty-seven acres of land, three miles north of Everson. At that time only a few acres of the land were cleared and on this a small orchard had been planted, the remainder of the land being covered with timber and brush, the only improvement besides the orchard being a small log cabin. Mr. Gillis went to work vigorously and eventually cleared practically all of the tract. In 1910 he bought twenty acres adjoining on the south and now owns eighty-six acres of good land, practically all in cultivation. He raises good crops of hay and grain and in the cultivation of the land uses a tractor and two horses. He gives considerable attention to dairying, milking twenty good grade Jersey cows, and also owns a pure-bred Jersey bull. In 1891 Mr. Gillis built a comfortable and substantial house and later erected a commodious barn. The farm is well improved in every respect and is numbered among the valuable ranches of this locality. In April, 1891, Mr. Gillis was married to Miss Mary Beaton, who was born on Prince Edward island, a daughter of Murdoch and Christa (McLeod) Beaton, both of whom were also natives of that island. Her father is now dead, but the mother is living, at the advanced age of ninety-four years. They had nine children, namely: Angus, deceased, John, deceased, Aleck, Daniel, John James, deceased, Mary, Katie, Sarah, and Belle, deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Gillis have been born four children: Mrs. Flora Hatch, who is a mother of two children - Lloyd, born July 26, 1913, and Mary Ethel, born June 25, 1918; John, who was married to Miss Lucile Eker; Beaton, who is at home and who is a veteran of the World war, having served for twenty-six months in the Wagon Train; and Abbie, who was graduated from the Nooksack high school and the State Normal School at Bellingham, and is now teaching school at Charleston, Washington. Fraternally Mr. Gillis is a member of Bellingham Lodge No. 202, Independent Order of Foresters, and Everson Camp No. 435, Woodmen of the World. He also belongs to the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association. He is a progressive and up-to-date farmer, an enterprising, public-spirited citizen, a courteous and accommodating neighbor and a loyal and dependable friend, for which splendid reasons he has attained an enviable place in 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. 566-569.

DANIEL A. GRIFFEN

High on the roll of Deming's honored dead is written the name of Daniel A. Griffen, who was the outstanding figure in its development. Actuated by the spirit of progress, he was constantly broadening the scope of his activities and the entire county benefited by his constructive labors. He was endowed with all the qualities of the leader and to the sturdy traits of the pioneer were added a geniality and kindliness that endeared him to all who were brought within the sphere of his influence.

A native of Nebraska, Mr. Griffen was born in 1856, and after the completion of his public school course he took up the study of law, but he did not follow that profession, choosing a commercial career instead. Early in the '80s he came to the Pacific coast, locating first in Portland, Oregon, and the year 1889 witnessed his arrival in Whatcom county, Washington. He opened an insurance office in Blaine and later transferred his business to Whatcom. Mr. Griffen subsequently took up a homestead and on this land founded the town of Deming about 1893. He developed a fine farm and owned one of the first sawmills in the district, and he established the Regina Hotel, which was known far and wide owing to the high quality of its food, a specialty being made of fried chicken dinners. The hostelry did much to stimulate the growth of the town. Mr. Griffen started the first store in Deming and was also the owner of the paper. As a merchant he was particularly successful, and he later opened a store at Maple Falls and another at Glacier. A splendid type of the virile American business man, he possessed the power of scattering his energies without lessening their force, and his keen intelligence and fertility of resource enabled him to direct with ease varied and important interests.

Mr. Griffen was appointed postmaster of Deming and made a fine record in the office, which he filled for many years. He was a stalwart adherent of the republican party and took a keen interest in politics, and he was a strong advocate of progress, reform and improvement in public affairs, being one of the most influential men in the county. Gifted with exceptional business acumen and a broad grasp of affairs, he had a career of unusual activity, of varied experiences and noteworthy success. The elements were happily blended in a nature finely matured and altogether admirable, and his demise in February, 1925, was the occasion of deep and widespread regret.

In 1887 Mr. Griffen married Miss Ella L. Sherman, now deceased, who was born in Cowlitz county, Washington. Regina, who was known as "Tootsie," was the only child of their union, and she died at the age of twelve years. Mr. Griffen adopted an orphan, Peggie Snow, when she was fourteen years of age, and he bestowed upon her a father's care and affection. She was born in Deming and completed her education in the State Normal School at Bellingham. This capable young business woman now has entire charge of Mr. Griffen's large properties and is fully equal to the responsibilities of the position. She is successfully conducting the general store at Deming, the others having been sold, and is loved and admired by the residents of this locality, among whom her life has been spent.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 262-265.

FRED HARKSELL

"Through struggle to triumph" seems to have been the maxim which held sway for many of the older citizens of Whatcom county, especially those who came here in the early days when to create a farm meant a vast amount of the hardest kind of preliminary labor, the greater part of the country being a veritable wilderness. It required men with inherent force of character to rise above their environment and all that seemed to hinder them, and persevere until they reached the plane of affluence toward which their faces were set through the long years of struggle. Among this number stands Fred Harksell, now one of the leading farmers and public-spirited citizens of Delta township. Mr. Harksell is a native of Germany, where he was born on July 10, 1858, a son of Carl and Wilhelmina (Vogel) Harksell. His parents also were natives of the fatherland, where they spent their lives, the father dying there in 1872 and the mother in 1882.

Of their nine children, all are now deceased except Fred Harksell, who attended the public schools of his native land, completing his education in a college, and later had charge of several large farms there. In 1886 he emigrated to the United States, locating in Iowa, where he remained two years, employed as foreman in a linseed oil factory. In 1888 he came to Whatcom county and went to work in stone quarries for Captain Roeder and Charles Roth at Chuckanut, where he was employed for seven years. In 1894 he bought one hundred and forty acres on Nooksack river, in Delta township, and at once entered upon the task of clearing the land of the stumps and brush which covered it. He devoted a tremendous amount of the hardest sort of labor to this task and eventually had the satisfaction of getting the land under cultivation, bountiful crops rewarding him for his efforts. Later he bought one hundred and twenty acres and is now the owner of two hundred and sixty acres of fine land, about two-thirds of which is cleared, the remainder being in woods and pasture. Mr. Harksell keeps thirty-five good grade Holstein cows, twenty-five head of young stock and eighty-five head of Blackface sheep. His field crops are mainly hay and grain and he maintains a large silo. Another valuable feature of the farm is the eight acre orchard, mainly of cherry trees. Mr. Harksell is thoroughly practical in all his farm operations, doing well whatever he undertakes and he has gained a high reputation as an enterprising and progressive farmer. He is a stockholder in the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association and keeps in close touch with everything affecting the agricultural interests of the county. He has a very comfortable and attractive home and a well improved farmstead in very respect.

On May 26, 1896, Mr. Harksell was married to Miss Emily Anderson, who was born in Sweden, daughter of Erick and Johanna (Olson) Anderson, both of whom were natives and lifelong residents of Sweden. They were the parents of four children: August, who lives in Iowa; Mrs. Harksell; Mrs. Hilma Peterson, who lives in Bellingham; and Mrs. Edla Larson, who still lives in Sweden. Mr. and Mrs. Harksell have three children, Albert August, Fred August and Ruth, who is an accomplished player on the piano. Mr. Harksell's life, being one of untiring activity, has been crowned by success, and at the same time he has won and retained the confidence and good will of all who know him because of his fair dealings with his fellowmen, as well as for his friendly and genial manner.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 758-759.

MARTHA (DENNISON) ALLAN HAWTHORNE

A man's equal in every qualification save the physical, and his superior in the gentle, tender and loving amenities of life, woman fully merits a much larger notice than he ordinarily receives, for she in the present day, more than ever before, playing a most important part in life's drama and she will through the coming years be accorded her proper place in history and biography. Because of what she has accomplished and for her gracious personal qualities and sound business ability, Mrs. Martha Allan Hawthorne, of Ferndale township, is clearly entitled to specific mention in a record of Whatcom county. Mrs. Hawthorne was born in New Brunswick, Canada, and is a daughter of Michael and Mary (Crawford) Dennison, both of whom were born at Nashwaak, New Brunswick, where they spent their lives and died. They had ten children, of whom five and living, namely: Mary, Martha, Matilda, Abigail and John.

Martha Dennison received her early education in the public schools of New Brunswick, and when about ten years old moved to the state of Maine, where she lived for a number of years. In 1869 she was married there to Thomas Allan, also a native of New Brunswick, and soon afterwards they located at Calais, Maine, where he obtained employment in a mill. Mr. Allan died in Pennsylvania in 1895, leaving a son, Willis C. Allan, who was born in Maine, April 27, 1870, and is now operating his mother's ranch at Ferndale. He was married October 18, 1893, to Miss Laura E. O'Brien, a native of New Brunswick and a daughter of William J. and Rachel C. (Haymon) O'Brien, also natives of New Brunswick. Mr. and Mrs. O'Brien had four children: Laura E., Clarence A., William D., and Alma M., and also an adopted daughter, Leona H., all of whom excepting Mrs. Allan are living in the east. Willis C. Allan and wife have a daughter, Eva May, who is the wife of Thomas Bulmer, a successful young business man in Bellingham.

In 1898 Mrs. Hawthorne came to Whatcom county, Washington, and bought twelve acres of land near Ferndale, to which she has added from time to time until she is now the owner of sixty-five acres of splendid land, well improved and in a high state of cultivation. She keeps fourteen milk cows, besides a number of young cattle, some of the animals being pure bred. She also has five hundred laying hens. She carries on general farming and has met with a very satisfactory measure of success, due mainly to her indomitable energy and her sound business judgment. In 1899, at Seattle, she was married to David Hawthorne, whose death occurred in December, 1905. Mrs. Hawthorne has bravely carried on the affairs of the home, ably assisted by her son Willis, and, because of her success, splendid character and her kindly and genial qualities, she enjoys the esteem and good will of the entire community. She is of a generous and sympathetic nature and no worthy cause appeals for her support in vain, while in the social circles in which she moves she is deservedly popular.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 820.

PETER J. HENRICKSON

No country in the old world has sent to the United States a more desirable class of citizens than has Norway, for her people are characterized by those elements which are most essential in good citizenship, being people of great energy, indomitable perseverance, sound judgment and sterling honesty. They have been important factors in the development of this country, and Norwegians have attained front rank in practically every profession or vocation to which men may apply their energies. To this worthy class belongs the gentleman whose name appears at the head of this sketch, and in him are exemplified the sterling characteristics of his people. Peter J. Henrickson was born in Norway on the 7th of July, 1863, and is a son of Henrick and Marie Knutson, who were natives of Stolene, Norway. Both are now deceased, the father having died in 1895, while the mother passed away January 2, 1925, at the advanced age of eighty-nine years. They were the parents of nine children: Ingebord, Karu, Peter J., Hans, Elisa, Gerard, Mina, Ragna and Andrew, the last named being deceased.

Peter J. Henrickson received a good, practical education in the public schools of his native land and then went to work on the farms of his home neighborhood, also working to some extent in the fishing industry. In June, 1885, he came to the United States, settling in Minnesota, where he was variously employed until 1889, when he bought one hundred and sixty acres of land in Lyon county, that state. He devoted his attention to the cultivation of this tract until 1894, when he sold it and obtained a position as coachman to a private family in Minneapolis, which he held for eight years. He next went to work in a foundry in that city, remaining there for two years, and then came to Washington, locating in Everett, Snohomish county, where he was employed in a sawmill for several years. In 1907 he came to Ferndale, Whatcom county, and bought thirty-five acres of raw land, of which he cleared twenty acres, and he has developed this place into one of the choice ranches of the locality. He is a good farmer and under his painstaking efforts and good management the farm has returned him a very satisfactory income. He raises general crops, principally hay, and keeps seven good grade Holstein cows. He has also a fine orchard, which adds materially to the value of the farm. He has made many splendid improvements on the place, including the erection of a barn in 1908 and of a very comfortable and attractive residence in 1913. The place is well equipped with modern machinery, and in every way Mr. Henrickson has demonstrated his capability as a progressive and up-to-date farmer.

On April 30, 1898, Mr. Henrickson was married to Miss Louise Knutson, also a native of Norway, and a daughter of Kjelstad and Marie Knutson, both of whom were natives and lifelong residents of Norway, where they died. Mr. and Mrs. Henrickson have one child, H. Conroy, who was born March 3, 1899, and is now employed as machinist's helper for a packing corporation in Alaska. Mr. Henrickson is a member of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association and of the Whatcom County Poultry Association. He has been true and loyal in all the relations of life and stands as a type of that sterling manhood which ever commands respect and honor. He takes a commendable interest in the public affairs of his community, cooperating with his fellow citizens in everything relating to the public welfare, and he stands deservedly high in the confidence and esteem of all who know him.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 889-890.

ARTHUR L. HICKEY

The true measure of individual success is determined by what one has accomplished, and in contradistinction to the old adage that a prophet is not without honor save in his own country, there is particular interest attached to the career of the subject of this sketch, since he is a native son of Whatcom county, where his entire life has been passed, and he has so directed his ability and efforts as to gain recognition as one of the representative citizens of the vicinity, being a worthy scion of one of our sterling pioneer families. A. L. Hickey was born in Ferndale township, Whatcom county, in 1892, and is a son of M. A. and Mahala F. (Wheddon) Hickey, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Tipton county, Indiana. They are referred to at length in a personal sketch of M. A. Hickey, which appears on other pages of this work. Our subject secured his educational training in the public schools of Woodland and Weiser Lake and was reared to the life of a farmer, which occupation he has followed throughout his active career, assisting his father for many years, and he is now giving his sole attention to the operation of the old home farm, consisting of one hundred and fifty-four acres, on which the family located in 1902. When they came to this place only twenty acres were cleared, but one hundred and thirty acres are now cleared and the major portion of it is under cultivation. Dairying is the principal occupation of the family, and they keep thirty-three high grade Guernsey cows and a registered sire. They raise their own hay and grain and also enough corn for ensilage. A. L. Hickey has shown himself well adapted to the vocation which he is following and has gained a high reputation throughout the community because of his progressive and up-to-date methods. Idleness is entirely foreign to his nature and he does thoroughly and well whatever he undertakes.

In 1916 Mr. Hickey was married to Miss Edith Marr, who was born and reared in Missouri, a daughter of J. S. and Ann (Hilgie) Marr, both of whom now live in Bellingham, this county. To their union have been born four children, namely: Hazel Dell, Glenn, Earl and Jack. Personally Mr. Hickey is a man of strong personality, keeps closely in touch with the great issues of the day, on which he holds decided opinions, and has been deeply interested in everything pertaining to the prosperity and welfare of his community, cooperating with his fellow citizens in the advancement of every measure for the public good. Genial and friendly, he enjoys a wide acquaintance throughout his section of the county and has a large circle of warm and loyal friends.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 197-198.

GEORGE W. A. HINTON

In every community there are men who by the consensus of public opinion are classed with its most useful and enterprising citizens, and to this distinction George W. A. Hinton has attained, for Glacier is indebted to him for its development and progress along many lines. A native of Canada, he was born in Bathurst, New Brunswick, July 3, 1883, and his parents, William and Mary (Armstrong) Hinton, came to this section of Washington in 1907. The father entered coal claims and secured patents to his land, which contains six hundred and forty acres of the best hard coal west of Pennsylvania. With the assistance of Judge Emory, of Everett, William Polsen and Angus Oliver he organized the Glacier Coal Company and remained at its head until his death. This is one of the most valuable coal properties in the United States and will soon be developed. The demise of William Hinton occurred in June, 1924. His widow still resides at Glacier.

George W. A. Hinton received a public school education and after laying aside his textbooks learned the plumber's trade. During his youth the family migrated to Michigan, and he remained in that state until 1908, when he came to Washington. He worked for a time in a coal mine at Glacier and in 1915 purchased a ranch adjoining the town, establishing a dairy on his place. He has installed modern equipment and his output is of high quality, finding a ready sale on the market. In 1920 he bought the Glacier Waterworks plant and is now supplying the town. He has erected a fine garage in Glacier and rents the building. On April 14, 1925, Mr. Hinton became the owner of the general store of D. A. Griffen & Company and recently added a bakery to the establishment. He handles groceries, shoes, hardware, ready-to-wear garments, etc., and has a large stock of general merchandise of the best grade. A sagacious, farsighted business man, he is always prepared to supply the needs of customers, and his trade covers a wide area. He also owns eighty acres of valuable coal land with a mile of railroad trackage, and he is constantly expanding the scope of his activities as opportunity offers, carrying forward to a successful termination whatever he undertakes.

In July, 1904 Mr. Hinton married Miss Elva Sisson, a native of Munising, Michigan, and formerly a teacher. In 1921 they adopted a daughter, Eleanor. Mr. Hinton is identified with the Masonic order and casts an independent ballot, standing at all times for clean politics and good government. He has been chosen to fill important public offices, serving as township clerk for two years and as township supervisor for five years, and for seven years he has been treasurer of the township. He has lived in Glacier for eighteen years and in point of continuous residence is the oldest settler. Possessing that quality which has been termed the "commercial sense," he has avoided the many pitfalls into which unrestricted progressiveness is so frequently led, focusing his energies in directions where fruition is certain. His breadth of view has enabled him to recognize possibilities not only for his own advancement but also for the development of his community, and his loyalty and public spirit, have prompted him to utilize the latter as quickly and effectively as the former.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 643-644.

BERT W. HUNTOON

Bert W. Huntoon, engineer for the Pacific American Fisheries, manager of the affairs of the Mount Baker Development Company of Bellingham and former county engineer in and for Whatcom county, is one of the old established civil engineers in this section of the the state. He has been engaged in engineering activities here for more than thirty years and there is probably no man in the county who has a more intimate acquaintance with the general affairs throughout this section than has he. Mr. Huntoon is a native of California, but his activities have centered in and about Bellingham since the days of his boyhood. He was born in the city of Sacramento, February 6, 1869, and is a son of Daniel R. and Nellie (Waldron) Huntoon, the latter of whom was born in New Hampshire and is still living, being now a resident of Long Beach, California.

The late Daniel R. Huntoon, one of the pioneer promoters of the interests of what now is the city of Bellingham, was a native of the state of Vermont. In the early '50s, during the height of the rush to the gold fields of California, he came to the coast county and engaged in mining activities, becoming a mine superintendent. After becoming well established in his line he returned east, was married in Boston and in 1867 returned with his bride to California. In 1873 his mining operations took him into Utah, and in 1883, when development at Seattle began to attract general attention, he settled in the latter place and became one of the active and influential factors in the realty business there. In the next year, 1884, Mr. Huntoon acquired realty interests in the Sehome district of what is now the city of Bellingham. In 1887 he established his home here and began to take a prominent part in development work, with particular reference to city extension activities, and exerted a large influence in the labors of establishing here a substantial community. In his time he was one of the leading realtors in this section of the state and was the owner of considerable property, including the site on which the Sehome Hotel was erected. Upon his retirement he returned to Seattle, where his last days were spent, his death occurring in 1917.

Bert W. Huntoon was fourteen years of age when his parents took up their residence in Seattle in 1883, and he was graduated from the high school there and then was sent east to finish his education. After a course in civil engineering in the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at Troy, New York, he returned to the coast and has since been engaged in engineering activities here. Mr. Huntoon served for some time as assistant engineer under J. J. Donovan, being helpful in the development of that pioneer promoter's railroad activities, and in 1896 he was elected county civil engineer, a position of technical and professional responsibility which he occupied for two terms. In 1899 he became connected with the engineering operations of the Pacific American Fisheries, with headquarters in Bellingham, and has since been thus engaged, being one of the oldest continuous members of the organization of that great concern. In 1923 Mr. Huntoon enlarged his operations to include connection with the Mount Baker Development Company and as general manager of that concern has been an influential factor in recent development in the Mount Baker National Forest and in town extension enterprises, including the establishment of the fine new Mount Baker Lodge resort.

In November, 1901, at Seattle, Mr. Huntoon was united in marriage to Miss Marguerite Wilcox, who was born in Michigan. Mr. and Mrs. Huntoon are republicans and have ever taken an interested and helpful part in the general civic and social life of the city. Mr. Huntoon is an active member of the Chamber of Commerce and of the Rotary Club and has attained to the fourteenth degree in the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of the Masonic order.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 121-122.

NELS P. JENSEN

Biographies are not worthy of publication unless there is something in the life and character of the individual worthy of emulation. Such is the record of N. P. Jansen (sic), of Ferndale township, who began life practically at the bottom of the ladder, which he has climbed with no help. A brave heart, industrious hands and an intelligent mind, have enabled him to climb and he is a living example of what may be accomplished in this land of opportunity by energy, perseverance and thrift, even under apparently discouraging circumstances. Mr. Jansen (sic) is a native of Denmark, but now a citizen of the United States. His birth occurred July 18, 1877, and he is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Nels Jansen, who also were born and reared in that country. The father is still living there, the mother passing away in 1921. They became the parents of six children, all of whom are living.

N. P. Jansen secured his education in the public schools of his native land and then went to work as a clerk in a store, where he remained for six years. In 1903 he emigrated to the United States and came at once to Ferndale, Whatcom county, where for several years he was variously employed. He was a hard worker and wisely economical, so that in 1910 he was able to buy forty acres of land, two miles northeast of Ferndale. This was densely covered with stumps and brush, but he applied himself vigorously to the task of clearing it, and now has a fine improved farm, the equal of any its size in the section of the county. In 1916 he built a modern house, convenient in arrangement and attractive in appearance, and also a substantial and commodious barn. He keeps fourteen good grade Guernsey and Jersey cows and a team of fine horses. He devotes the cultivated land to hay, grain and potatoes and has met with well deserved success in all of his operations.

On June 1, 1907, Mr. Jansen (sic) was married to Miss Christina Petersen, daughter of Nels and Maren (Christian) Petersen. Her parents were born in Denmark, and the mother is still living there, at the age of eighty-two years, the father dying in 1883. They were the parents of nine children, Ellen, Johanna, deceased, Peter, Chris, Hans, James, Christina, Annie and Olga. Mrs. Jansen came to Washington in 1906. Mr. and Mrs. Jansen have two children, Melton Milton, born December 9, 1909, and now in the Ferndale high school, and Harry, born June 25, 1913. Mr. Jansen is a member of the Grange and of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association. He has been deeply interested in educational affairs and in good roads, and is now serving as road supervisor for Ferndale township. Altogether Mr. Jansen has cleared over one hundred acres of land in Whatcom county, which implies a vast amount of the hardest sort of labor, as all know who have been familiar with conditions in this locality. He is a man of generous and kindly impulses, genial and companionable in his social relations, and public-spirited in his support of all laudable measurers for the advancement of the public welfare. Because of earnest life, splendid success and his neighborliness, he has gained a high place in the estimation of all who know him.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 702-703.

BENJAMIN JOHANSEN

One of the successful farmers of Lynden township, Whatcom county, who has worked hard for that which he now possesses, is Benjamin Johansen, who although born under another flag has proven himself a loyal citizen of his adopted country. Beginning life with little cash capital and practically no experience as a farmer or woodsman, he showed what sort of man he was by applying himself so diligently and intelligently to the work before him that at length success crowned his efforts, and he has long been numbered among the representative men of his locality. He was born in Denmark in 1858 and is a son of Johannas and Melina (Jonasen) Larsen, farming folk, and both of whom died in their native land.

Benjamin Johansen attended the public schools of his home neighborhood and then worked for the farmers in that locality until the time came for him to enter the national army for the prescribed military service. However, he served only two years and then, going to Copenhagen, went to work in a department store, where his hours were from six o'clock in the morning until nine o'clock at night. He remained in that store for six years and then went to work for another firm, being employed in the grocery department from eight o'clock to five, which was a considerable improvement in the number of hours of service required. The work was very light, however, and he began to gain weight so rapidly that he was fearful of his health, so he left. About this time his brother-in-law, P. Bensen, who had been in the United States, suggested that he come to American, the land of opportunity. Eventually, in 1902, Mr. Johansen came to this country, coming direct to Bellingham, Whatcom county, where he remained about eighteen months, working in Dovovan's mill. He was thrifty and saved his money, with the idea of buying a place of his own. Mr. Bensen showed him around Lynden township, and in 1903 he bought thirty acres of land, all of which at that time was heavily covered with cedar logs, standing trees and brush.

Mr. Johansen had had no experience under such conditions and was compelled to rely somewhat on the advice and direction of Mr. Bensen. About that time their son was taken sick, and Mrs. Johansen not being well, Mr. Bensen suggested that the family live with him while the land was being cleared. The cedar logs were in good shape and Mr. Bensen showed him just how long the shingle bolts should be cut. To this work he devoted himself with vigor, also slashing the standing trees. In the course of time his labors began to show results and by the end of 1904 he had not only made headway on the land but had built a house, sixteen by twenty-four feet in size, two rooms upstairs and two down, and the family was established in its own home. Several times during the years immediately following they were nearly burned out by forest fires, and they had many other experiences not pleasant or encouraging to the new settlers. However, they persevered, and Mr. Johansen had to his credit one enviable record - he supported his family from the products of the farm practically from the beginning, avoiding the necessity of going away from home to work, as did most of the early settlers of that locality. In 1920 Mr. Johansen built a fine, modern house, attractive and comfortable, and the farm, with all of its substantial improvements, is now one of the best in the locality. About twelve acres are cleared, the remainder being in pasture. Because of injuries received when knocked down by a bull a few years ago, Mr. Johansen is compelled to use crutches, and being unable to do the heavier farm work as formerly, he sold off his stock and machinery. He had previously kept ten cows, four heifers, four calves and two horses, for which he raised all the necessary feed on the place. In addition to his fine home, he has a substantial barn and a good silo, while his fertile fields yield splendid crops.

In 1889 Mr. Johansen was married to Miss Christina Strand, who was born in Denmark, and to them was born a son, Paul Henry, who is now engaged in the insurance business in Bellingham. He was married to Miss Jessie Pearl Marer, who was born in Michigan, and they have two children, Paul A. and Ruby. Mr. Johansen was formerly a member of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association. At one time the government wanted to buy a corner of his place for a customs office, but he declined to give it up. However, he later erected the present building, which he rents to the government. He has in every respect supported all local institutions, such as the public schools and churches, and has stood with his fellow citizens in all efforts to advance the best interests of the community. Because of his splendid record, fine personal character and kindly and genial disposition, he holds a high place in the confidence and esteem of all who know him.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 727-728.

SWAN JOHNSON

Among the progressive and successful farmers and public-spirited citizens of Nooksack township stand Swan Johnson and Daniel Peterson, who own and operate a fine and well improved farm of one hundred and forty acres, about three miles south of Nooksack. Quiet and unassuming in manner, they have, nevertheless, impressed the community with their forceful individualities and are today recognized by their fellow citizens as men of more than ordinary worth to their locality.

Mr. Johnson is a native of Sweden, his birth occurring on the 17th of December, 1863, and is a son of Swan and Johanna Johnson, both of whom were natives of Sweden, where they spent their lives and died. They were the parents of four children. The subject received a good education in the public schools of his home neighborhood and at the age of twelve years left the parental fireside and worked on his own account at various employments until he was eighteen years old, when he went to Norway and learned the trade of stone cutting. He continued to follow that occupation until 1888, when he came to the United States, locating first in Pennsylvania, where he remained about seven months. He then came to Tacoma, Washington, and in the fall of 1889 went to Bellingham, where for several years he was employed in sawmills. On October 1 of that year he took out his citizenship papers, thus evidencing his intention to become a full-fledged citizen of his adopted country. On January 17, 1894 Mr. Johnson bought one hundred and forty acres of land in Nooksack township, three miles south of Nooksack, only a small part of which was cleared, but which contained a small house. He built a barn and then entered vigorously upon the task of clearing more of the land and getting it under cultivation. About twenty acres are now under the plow, the remainder being devoted to pasture. He keeps eight good grade milk cows and a pure-bred registered bull. The land has been largely devoted to hay, though recently some of it has been planted to alfalfa, which is making a good stand. A small but good bearing orchard also adds to the value of the ranch, which is well improved and has been developed into a very comfortable and attractive homestead.

Mr. Johnson has not confined his attention entirely to the operation of the farm, as he was for ten years engaged in fishing on the Fraser river, in British Columbia, seven of the ten years being spent in salmon fishing, and his boat had the record for the highest catch of salmon. He also spent part of one season mining at Cook Inlet, Alaska. He tells many interesting incidents of the early days in this state, among with is that of a man who fell and was drowned in the mud and water in the streets of Tacoma in 1889. There was no Volstead act at that time, but whether or not that had anything to do with the case he does not know. Mr. Johnson has long enjoyed a wide and favorable acquaintance throughout this section of the county, and those who know him hold him in the highest esteem because of his fine personal character, public spirit and splendid success in his business affairs. In July, 1907, Mr. Johnson sold a half interest in his ranch to Daniel Peterson, and they now live together there.

DANIEL PETERSON

Daniel Peterson also is a native of Sweden, born on the 12 th of October, 1865, and is a son of Peter and Martha (Olson) Danielson, who spent their lives in that country, both being now deceased. They had a family of six children, namely: Martha, deceased; Ole, who lives in Nooksack; Karen, deceased; Daniel, the subject of this sketch; Peter, who lives in Alberta, Canada; and Breta, deceased. Daniel Peterson attended the schools of his native county and then worked in the woods and at farming until 1893, when he came to the United States. After remaining in Seattle, Washington, a short time, he went to Franklin, King county, and in the following year went to Clallam county, this state, where he homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land. He cleared twenty acres, on which he lived and to the cultivation of which he devoted himself until 1907, when he sold the ranch and, coming to Whatcom county, bought an interest in the Swan Johnson farm, to the operation of which he has since devoted himself in conjunction with his partner.

Messrs. Johnson and Peterson are members of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association and both are thoroughly practical in their farm work, in which they have exercised sound judgment and discrimination. Prior to coming to Whatcom county, in 1905-6, Mr. Peterson spent a year in Alaska, with headquarters at Seward, and was employed in railroad construction work. He is a steady, capable and dependable man and has gained the sincere respect of the entire community. The partnership of these two men has been a splendid combination, as they are not only both well qualified and adapted to the vocation which they are following but are also congenial souls and are living very comfortably and pleasantly together. They have given their support to every movement for the advancement or betterment of the community and have earned a high place in the respect and good will of all who know them.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 283-284.

WILLIAM W. JOHNSON

The names of such men as W. W. Johnson, who is one of the leading citizens and successful ranchers of Delta township, are worthy of preservation, for they indicate the true history makers of the country - men of strong arm and brave heart, willing to forego the pleasures of advanced civilization in order that they might in the fullness of time possess a comfortable home and make provision for their families and succeeding generations. Mr. Johnson was born in Cambridge, Henry county, Illinois, on the 3d of September, 1858, and is a son of Nels and Sophia Johnson, both of whom were natives of Sweden. They came to the United States in 1851 and settled in Henry county, where the father bought a farm, being a pioneer in that locality. Indeed, so far in advance of the older settled country was he that at that time there were only three farms between Andover and Bishop's Hill, a distance of fourteen miles. In 1859 Mr. Johnson went to Pike's Peak, Colorado, in search for gold, but he soon afterward contracted mountain fever, and died in 1860. His wife passed away three years later. Of the eight children born to them, but two are now living, the subject of this sketch and Mrs. Charlotte Sturm.

W. W. Johnson secured his education in the public schools of his native county and at the age of thirteen years began working as a farm hand, which occupation he followed until his marriage, in 1884, when he went to Axtell, Nebraska, and opened a hotel, which he ran about a year. He then sold out and rented a farm and after operating that place a while bought one hundred and sixty acres of land, to which he gave his attention until 1887, when he took charge of a large farm owned by Benjamin Goodell, which he superintended for one year. He next went to Holdrege, Nebraska, where he obtained a position as clerk in a grocery store, following that line of work for eleven years. In 1902 he came to Whatcom county, and in the following year he bought sixty acres of land in Delta township, to the clearing of which he at once applied himself. This meant a vast amount of the hardest sort of work, as is realized by all who are familiar with conditions existing at that time, but eventually he cleared eighteen acres, which he developed into a good farm. In 1903 he built a good, comfortable home and in 1913 a large and well arranged barn. He also set out a splendid orchard, which is now bearing well. He keeps a few cows and about two hundred and fifty laying hens, and the farm is in all essential respects the equal of any in this locality. Mr. Johnson is a member of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association and the Whatcom County Poultry Association, and is also a stockholder in the Farmers Mutual Telephone Company.

On June 3, 1884, Mr. Johnson was married to Miss Josephine Ostgren, a native of Sweden and a daughter of John and Johanna (Erickson) Ostgren, both also natives of Sweden. The mother brought her family to the United States in 1882 and settled in Phelps county, Nebraska, where she homesteaded a tract of land, and there lived until her death, which occurred in 1921. Her husband died in Sweden in 1880. They were the parents of four children: Mrs. Matilda hanson, Mrs. Josephine Johnson, Adolph and Fred. To Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have been born four children: Viola, born March 15, 1885, became the wife of John Axling, to which union was born a son, Hilmar, and her death occurred April 5, 1909. Melvin, born February 27, 1888, is married and has two children, Rose and Violet; Abon, born April 17, 1891, is married and has two children, William and Clifton; Mrs. Mable Lindquist is the mother of two children, Elmer and Eleanora. Mr. Johnson is a man of energy and perseverance, exercising sound judgment in his affairs, and honesty has characterized all his relations with his neighbors, so that he has deservedly won an enviable reputation throughout the community.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 870-873.

JOHN W. KENOYER

The activities of J. W. Kenoyer are part of the indissoluble chain which links the annals of the past to the latter-day period of progress and prosperity, and the history of Whatcom county would not be complete without reference to the long like he has lived and the success he has achieved as an earnest, courageous laborer in one of the most important fields of endeavor, agriculture. J. W. Kenoyer was born in Indiana, on the 22d of April, 1856, and is a son of Henry and Mary E. (Sutton) Kenoyer, also natives of the old Hoosier state. Both are now deceased, the father dying in 1915 and the mother in 1919. Henry Kenoyer with his family moved from Indiana to Kansas in 1872 and took up a homestead, on which he carried on farming operations until 1888, when he came to Whatcom county, Washington, where the father and two sons each took up a homestead. They remained here, cleared the land and put it under cultivation. They built the first road from Ferndale to Laurel, and also ran a small sawmill for ten or fifteen years.

In 1905 J. W. Kenoyer sold his Laurel ranch and went to Eugene, Oregon, buying one hundred and twenty acres of land, on which he lived for five years, at the end of which time he went to Florence, Oregon. After a year he returned to Whatcom county and bought ten acres of land on the Blaine highway, which he cleared and has developed into a good farm, carrying on general agricultural pursuits and realizing a fine measure of prosperity, which he has richly deserved. He keeps several cows and has made a number of permanent and substantial improvements on the place. Mr. Kenoyer also own fifteen acres near Laurel. The home place is now being operated by his son, William, whose wife keeps house for the family. Mr. Kenoyer has been a witness of and a participant in the splendid development of this locality and tells many interesting reminiscences of the early days here, when practically all the land was covered with forest and brush, when good roads were practically unknown and when the conveniences of the present day were not dreamed of. He is public-spirited and lends his support to any cause that has for its ultimate object the betterment of his locality along material, civic or moral lines. He has been a prominent factor in the advancement of many measures which have directly benefited the locality and, because of his active and useful life, his fine character and his kindly and generous disposition, he has justly earned the enviable place which he occupies in the confidence and esteem of all who know him.

In 1875 Mr. Kenoyer was married to Miss Emma Allen, a native of Illinois. To them were born four children, namely: Mrs. Myrtle Kilgore, deceased, who had three children, John, Charles and Pearl; Bert, deceased, who was married and had a son, Alvin; Mrs. Susie Pinkey, who is the mother of a son, Clifford; William, who was married to Miss Ida Buckley, who was born at Marietta, Whatcom county, and they have three children, Patricia, born March 17, 1917, and Iva and Eva, twins, born June 28, 1919.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 834-835.

OLIVER ALFRED KIRKMAN

It is signally consonant that in this work should be incorporated at least a brief resume of the career of Oliver Alfred Kirkman, one of the influential and successful citizens of Nooksack township. A man of forceful individuality and marked initiative power, he is well equipped for the large duties of life and for leadership in his community, while his probity of character and genial personality have gained for him an enviable standing among his fellow citizens. Mr. Kirkman was born on the old Kirkman homestead at Clearbrook on the 7th of September, 1884, and is a son of Arthur and Agnes (Perry) Kirkman, the former a native of Liverpool, England, and the latter born in Glasgow, Scotland.

Arthur Kirkham came to the United States in 1855, and his wife came to this country in the previous year, both locating in the state of Illinois, where they met and were married. Mr. Kirkman was a farmer, which pursuit he followed in that state until 1878, when he came to Washington, locating at Sehome, then a hamlet of three families, but which is now the thriving city of Bellingham. Later he went to old Nooksack Crossing, where he remained about a year, at the end of which time he bought a relinquishment right three miles north of Everson and later preempted one hundred and sixty acres of land near by. He immediately entered upon the task of creating a home here, building a small log cabin, and then began clearing the land. He developed a good homestead and spent practically the remainder of his life here, dying on the 30th of September, 1908. His death followed closely that of his wife, who had passed away on the 4th of the same month. The log cabin which he first built was destroyed by fire about ten years after it was built and was replaced by a comfortable and commodious hewed-log house. To Mr. and Mrs. Kirkman were born seven children, namely: Edward, deceased, William, Mrs. Alice Goodwin, Arthur, Robert A., Andrew and Oliver A.

Oliver A. Kirkman attended the Clearbrook district school, went one year to the Bellingham public schools and had one year of high school work. He then helped his father in the operation of the home farm until his marriage, in 1914, when he located on ninety-five acres of his father's farm, to which he has since closely devoted himself. He is well equipped for his life work and has proven himself an up-to-date and progressive farmer. He has made many substantial improvements on the place, including the erection of a commodious barn in 1910, and attractive and well arranged house in 1914 and a silo in 1920. He has cleared about thirty-five acres of the land, on which he is producing splendid crops of hay and grain. He keeps eight good Holstein milk cows and a fine flock of laying hens, and he is numbered among the prosperous and substantial farmers of this locality.

Mr. Kirkman was married, January 6, 1914, to Miss Elsie Terveer, who was born in Minnesota, a daughter of Benjamin and Lucy (Libby) Terveer, the latter of whom also was a native of that state. Mr. Terveer was born and reared in Germany, where he lived until some time in the '80s, when he came to the United States. He settled in Minnesota, where he bought a farm, to which he devoted his energies until 1904, when he came to the Nooksack valley, Whatcom county, and bought one hundred and sixty acres of land, two miles north of Everson and about one-third of which was cleared. He now has practically the entire tract cleared and has developed the place into a fine farm, on which he is still living. He made many improvements, including a substantial and attractive set of farm buildings. To him and his wife were born two children: Elsie (Mrs. Kirkman) and Mrs. Susie Rapson, who died December 12, 1924. To Mr. and Mrs. Kirkman have been born five children, namely: Bernard, born December 12, 1914; Gladys, born August 4, 1917; Alice, born October 30, 1920; Winona, born October 7, 1922; and Forest, born December 1, 1924.

Mr. Kirkman is a member of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association and the Whatcom County Poultry Association, while fraternally he is a member of Bellingham Tent No. 1, Knights of the Maccabees. He has taken a good citizen's interest in the public affairs of his locality and served for three years as assessor of Nooksack township. Because of his success, high character, public spirit and genial disposition, he enjoys the confidence and good will of all who know him.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 363-364.

LESTER LIVINGSTON

Lester Livingston has long been a well known figure in commercial circles of Blaine and has spent the greater part of his life in this locality, contributing his share toward the development of its trade relations. A native of Minnesota, he was born in 1874 and was a youth of fifteen when his parents, Isaiah and Lucy (Pomeroy) Livingston, migrated to Washington. They settled in Blaine in 1889 and a year later the mother died. She was long survived by the father, who responded to the final summons in 1919.

Their son, Lester Livingston, attended the public schools of Minnesota, and in 1897 he made his first business venture, establishing a restaurant in Blaine. At the end of five years he withdrew from that field of activity and in 1902 opened an ice cream parlor. He also sells soft drinks and fine confectionery, and "Lester's" is one of the most popular establishments in the town, catering to a large and desirable patronage. He devotes much thought to the business, for which he is well adapted, and the service is first class in every particular. Mr. Livingston votes the republican ticket and his fraternal affiliations are with the Knights of Pythias and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. He possesses a genial nature, is always courteous and obliging and holds a secure place in the regard of his fellow citizens.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 298.

JOSEPH B. MORTIBOY

The man whose life history is herewith outlined has lived to good purpose and achieved a fine measure of success, solely by his individual efforts. By a straightforward and commendable course he has made his way to a respectable position in the agricultural world, winning the hearty admiration of the people of his community and earning a reputation as an enterprising, progressive man of affairs. J. B. Mortiboy is a native of England, born in 1859, and is a son of C. and Ann (Vincent) Mortiboy. His parents brought their family to the United States in 1869, locating in Jackson county, Wisconsin, where the father followed farming and blacksmithing. He and his wife died in that locality.

J. B. Mortiboy attended the public schools of England and completed his education in the schools of Wisconsin. After completing his studies he learned the blacksmith's trade under his father, but when twenty-one years old he turned his attention to farming, operating several rented farms in that locality. In 1887 he went to Minnesota, where he remained about five years, operating threshing machines and serving as engineer in flouring mills. In 1892 he came to Bellingham, Whatcom county, where lived a sister, Mrs. C. K. Smith, who had come here in 1889. Making his headquarters in that city, he was employed as engineer in shingle mills and at other employment until 1908, when he bought fifty-two acres of land on the Kelly road. This tract was uncleared, but he went to work and in the course of time got some of it in shape for cultivation and erected a set of farm buildings, remaining there until 1913. He next was located on the Guide Meridian road about a year and was for the same length of time on a farm near the county poor farm. He then bought his present farm, comprising eighteen and a half acres, of which about eight acres were cleared. He has devoted himself closely to the improvement of this place and now has fifteen acres cleared, the remainder of the land being in pasture. He is giving his attention mainly to dairying, keeping five good grade cows, for which he raises sufficient feed on his own land. He is a wide-awake, energetic farmer, painstaking in all that he does, and has been rewarded with a fine measure of success.

In 1911 Mr. Mortiboy was married to Mrs. Marthi Grimm, who was born in the island of Jersey, off the coast of France, a daughter of Joseph Blampied, who was a lifelong resident of that island, where his death occurred. By her first marriage she became the mother of two children: Leon, who lives in Tacoma, Washington; and Mrs. Edith Hart, of Seattle. Mr. Mortiboy is a member of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association and of the Grange. He was at one time a member of the Knights of the Maccabees. He has always been public-spirited in his attitude toward the welfare of the communities where he has resided, and while in Wisconsin he served as road supervisor. Since coming to this county he has donated much work to the improvement of the public highways, particularly on the Kelly road. He was an ardent fisherman and has the distinction of having caught one of the largest blue trout ever caught in Bellingham bay, fishing at the time from the old railroad causeway which ran across part of the bay. Those who know him best will readily agree with the statement that he is eminently deserving of the material success which has crowned his efforts, and because of his business ability and excellent character, as well as his friendly disposition, he has long held a high place in the esteem and good will of his fellow citizens.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 361-362.

NEILS P. NIELSEN

The well known citizen and farmer whose name appears above is numbered among the band of sturdy pioneers who more than forty years ago came to the wilds of northwestern Whatcom county and by hard and long-continued toil at length carved out of the wilderness fertile farms and comfortable home. Privations and hardships were their lot, but they had a faith in the future of this locality that stimulated then to renewed efforts, and the smiling fields of today stand in eloquent testimony as to their courage and indomitable industry. N. P. Nielsen was born on the 18th of April, 1855, in the northern part of Germany, the locality of his birth now belonging to Denmark. The father died when our subject was but a small boy, and he has little recollection of him. His mother, whose maiden name was Mary Gruenberg, also died in her native land.

N. P. Nielsen attended the public schools of his native land until the age of twelve years, when he went to sea and followed that occupation for a number of years, during which time he visited practically every part of the globe. On leaving the sea, Mr. Nielsen turned his attention to the shipbuilding trade, which he followed until 1878, when he went to Honolulu, Hawaii, where he worked on sugar plantations for two years. He then came to the United States, landing at San Francisco, and thence went at once to Washington. In 1884 he homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land seven miles east of Blaine. He had landed at Semiahmoo and found it necessary to blaze a trail to his property, as there were at that time no roads or well defined trails through that section of the county. In fact, for several years he was compelled to pack in all his provisions and supplies. He remained on that place for sixteen years, clearing about twenty acres of the land and slashing the remainder, while the other improvements included a good house and barn. His chief crops were oats and peas. In 1900 Mr. Nielson moved to his present place, comprising thirteen acres, which was a part of the old Thomas homestead, and he has about five acres of it cleared and in cultivation. Altogether Mr. Nielsen has about eighty acres of land cleared and is the owner of a valuable and attractive farm. He is now giving his main attention to dairying and chickens, having a nice herd of good grade cows and about eight hundred White Leghorn hens. He raises his own feed and roughage and has everything about the place well equipped for the proper conduct of his operations.

In 1886 Mr. Nielsen was married to Miss Annie Hostrup, who was born in the same locality as he was, having known each other from childhood. Eventually she came to this country to become his bride. She is a daughter of Andrew and Annie (Slaus) Hostrup, who came to the United States in 1886 and made their home with the subject until they died. To Mr. and Mrs. Nielsen have been born seven children: Peter died at the age of two years. John is at home and usually works in the fishing industry in Alaska in summer. Annie is the wife of L. Brown of Bellingham, and they have three children. Lendy, who was killed in a logging camp in 1922, was a veteran of the World war, serving two years as a member of the Three Hundred and Sixty-first Infantry Regiment. He was overseas for nine months and took part in several engagements but was not wounded. Mrs. Katherine Wigges resides in Tacoma. Harry, who lives in Bellingham, is married and has a daughter. August remains at home.

Mr. Nielsen is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Sons of Herman. He is also a member of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association and the Whatcom County Poultry Association. His religious affiliation is with the Lutheran church, of which he is a generous supporter. In every relation of life he has been true to every trust and has done his full part in the development of his community, giving his earnest support to all measures for the advancement of the public welfare. He has long held a high place in the esteem and respect of his fellow citizens, because of his industry, his success and his fine personal qualities.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 425-426.

FREDERICK REICHMAN

The European nations have furnished to the new world many men possessing the qualities of industry, determination and honesty, which constitute the basis of good citizenship, and of this type is Frederick Reichman, on of Bellingham's leading tailors. A son of Joseph and Dora Reichman, he was born September 10, 1887, and is a native of Austria. His mother resides in Germany but the father is deceased.

After laying aside his textbooks Frederick Reichman learned the tailor's trade, serving his apprenticeship in Hungary, and in 1903, when sixteen years of age, he came to the United States. He obtained employment in New York and spent several years in the east. In 1910 he went to California, and he followed his trade in several cities of the northwest. Mr. Reichman arrived in Bellingham, March 21, 1921, and opened a shop at No. 1305 Elk street, where he has since continued in business. He does fine tailoring, making both ladies' and men's suits, and employs four experienced workers. He is an artist in his line and his skill and good taste have brought him a liberal clientele, representing Bellingham's leading citizens.

Mr. Reichman was married January 12, 1924, to Miss Elma Yearing, of Australia, and to this union has been born a son, Frederick Thomas. Mr. Reichman is thoroughly American and demonstrated his loyalty to his adopted county by serving for a year and six months in France with the United States Heavy Artillery. He belongs to the American Legion and is also connected with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Masonic fraternity. He owes his allegiance to no party and casts his ballot for the candidate whom he considers best qualified for office. Mr. Reichman is a young man of broad views and progressive spirit, and his genuine worth has placed him high in the esteem of Bellingham's citizens.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 115.

PAUL ROELL

For over forty years Paul Roell has been identified with agricultural affairs in Whatcom county, and though he has passed through some discouraging times he has by persevering industry and good management finally attained a very gratifying measure of success, being now numbered among the prosperous dairy farmers of his locality. He was born in Danzig, Germany, on the 9th of June, 1857, and is a son of Karl and Lizzie (Fantzer) Roell, both of whom also were natives of that locality. The father was a manufacturer of farm machinery and was a man of good standing in his community.

Paul Roell attended the public schools of his home town and then learned the machinist's trade under the direction of his father, with whom he remained until about the time he attained his majority, after which he went to other cities in Germany, working at his trade. In 1884 Mr. Roell came to the United States, coming direct to Whatcom county, where he bought two tracts of land, of forty acres and one hundred and twenty acres, respectively, with the purpose of raising hops. He was one of the first men to raise them in the Nooksack valley and was eminently successful, selling five thousand dollars worth of hops from his farm one year. Eventually, however, a varying market and the ravages of hop lice made the business unprofitable, and he turned his attention to general farming. When he came to his land, forty acres were in pasture, but he removed the stumps and turned it into arable land, on which he raises good crops of hay and grain. He is giving considerable attention to dairying, keeping fifteen high grade Holstein cows and a registered sire, also keeping a few hogs for family use. Mr. Roell likewise has a nice orchard of apple and cherry trees, which he planted himself, and from which he now sells some fruit. He is energetic and methodical in all his operations and the prosperity which is crowning his efforts has been well merited.

In 1885 Mr. Roell was married to Miss Minnie Boelkow, who was born and reared near Berlin, Germany, where lived her parents, Karl and Minne (Houke) Boelkow, who operated a farm. They came to Whatcom county in 1894 and here spent the remaining years of their lives, both being now deceased. One year after Mr. Roell came here Miss Boelkow arrived, and they were married shortly afterward. To them have been born four children, namely: Franz, of Seattle, who is married and has a son; Richard, who is married and lives in Alaska; and Hattie and Salma. Fraternally Mr. Roel is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He belongs to the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association and has always been deeply interested in everything pertaining to the best interests of the people generally, having served for several years as a school director in the Roeder district. Mr. Roell is an interesting conversationalist and tells many incidents of early days here. Referring to the improvement in transportation facilities, he states that in early days he was compelled to haul in hops to Lynden, whence they would be taken by steamboat to Bellingham. He is a man of broad views and decided opinions, up-to-date and progressive in his ideas, and is thorough in whatever he undertakes. Because of his excellent personal traits and affable disposition he has gained a high 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, pps. 899-900.

HENRY J. SIEMONS

Henry J. Siemons, who has been an active factor in Bellingham's industrial circles during the past thirty-five years, is successfully engaged in business as one of the six brothers conducting the Siemons Lumber Company, extensive shingle manufacturers. He is a native of Illinois and was active in the hardware trade in that state, in association with his father and brothers, prior to removing westward to Washington in 1891. He established a shingle mill on the Bellingham flats, which was burned, and a few years later he lost another mill by fire. The building occupied by the Siemons Lumber Company of Bellingham was erected a number of years ago and the six brothers conducting the enterprise have developed a business of gratifying and profitable proportions.

On the 6th of February, 1907, Mr. Siemons was united in marriage to Miss Jean McAlpine, a native of Skagit county, Washington, and a daughter of Edward and Jane (Ewing) McAlpine, both of whom are deceased. Mr. Siemons belongs to the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and enjoys an enviable reputation in social as well as business circles of his adopted city.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 915.

JERRY SOVA

Among the leading citizens of the western part of Whatcom county is Jerry Sova, who is one of the connecting links between the pioneer epoch and the present, having come here when the greater part of this section was wild and sparsely settled and wild game was in abundance. He has lived to see this locality developed into one of the finest farming sections of Washington, and no one has taken greater pride than he in this splendid transformation, for he is of a progressive and enterprising spirit and has contributed his full share to the improvement of local conditions. Mr. Sova was born near Windsor, Ontario, Canada, on the 22nd of August, 1868, and is a son of Henry and Virginia (Kenville) Sova, both of whom were natives of Canada. The father, who was born near Montreal, was taken to New York state when seven years old but eventually moved back to Ontario, where he made his permanent home.

Jerry Sova secured his educational training in the public schools of Ontario, attending a French school most of the time. Then, after working a while on a farm, he went to California and obtained work with a logging crew, following that line until the early '80s when he came to Bellingham. Here he became a timber feller for the mill that has since become the E. K. Wood Lumber Company, and he was engaged in the timber industry for about nine years. About 1885 he bought a preemption right on the west side of McKechnie road and later took up a homestead on the east side of that road. He proved up on both of the properties, living about six years on the homestead and three years on the preemption tract. None of the land had been cleared when he acquired it, but he now has fifteen acres of the homestead cleared, on which he has set out a thousand fruit trees, while on the preemption land he has cleared ten acres and has set out between four hundred and five hundred trees. He has a variety of fruits, but apples, cherries, pears and prunes are his main crops. When he came here the only north and south road was the Telegraph road and he had to pack in all his provisions. Wild game, such as bears, deer and cougars, roamed the woods, and native pheasants were plentiful, while fishing was all that could be desired. About 1901 Mr. Sova bought sixty acres of his present fine farm, about forty acres of which he has cleared. The land was originally very wet, but he has put in a good deal of drain tile and the farm is now in a fine arable condition. He is devoting this farm largely to dairying, for which purpose he keeps seventeen head of registered Ayrshire cattle. He has been very successful in the breeding and raising of this breed of cattle, for which he has gained a wide reputation, and has sold much stock throughout this locality, one cow having been shipped to Massachusetts. He raises his own feed, such as hay and oats, and has the business on a prosperous and profitable basis.

Mr. Sova has always taken a good citizen's interest in the public affairs of the community, having in the early days contributed a good many days' labor in the construction of roads, while he helped to build the first school houses at Weiser Lake and at Greenwood. A man of great energy and rare judgment, he has devoted himself indefatigably to the advancement of his individual affairs, in which he has met with well deserved success, and has been equally earnest in his support of the best things in community life. Successful in business, respected in social life and discharging his duties in a manner becoming a liberal-minded citizen, he has long enjoyed an enviable place in the confidence and good will of the entire community.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 890-891.

EMMONS P. SPEARIN, D. M. D.

Dentistry may be said to be almost unique among other occupations, as it is at once a profession, a trade and a business. Such being the case, it follows that in order to attain the highest success in it one must be thoroughly conversant with the theory of the art, must be expert with the many tools and appliances incidental to the practice of modern dentistry and must possess business qualifications adequate to dealing with the financial side of the profession. In all of these particulars Dr. E. P. Spearin is well qualified and therefore has attained prestige among the able representatives of dentistry at Bellingham, where he has been engaged in practice since 1916.

Dr. Spearin was born at Whatcom, Washington, in 1892, his parents being Herbert A. and Angie B. (Cottle) Spearin, natives of Maine and Washington, respectively. The year 1891 witnessed the father's arrival at Bellingham, this state, where he worked in the mills prior to turning his attention to general agricultural pursuits, which now claim his time and energies.

In preparation for a professional career E. P. Spearin entered the School of Dentistry of the North Pacific College at Portland, Oregon, from which institution he was graduated with the degree of D. M. D. in 1916. In that year be began practicing at Bellingham, where he has remained through the intervening decade. His success has been marked, and he has gained an enviable and well merited reputation as a dentist of superior skill an ability.

Since age conferred upon him the right of franchise Dr. Spearin has supported the men and measurers of the republican party. During the period of the World war, in 1917 and 1918, he served as first lieutenant in the Dental Corps, and he now has membership in the American Legion. He likewise belongs to the Kiwanis Club and to the Country Club, while fraternally he is affiliated with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and the Woodmen of the World. He is widely known as a worthy native son and a successful young dental practitioner of Whatcom county.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 50.

ROBERT A. WELSH

The most valuable citizens of a community are those who by securing the success of their own undertakings place the means of a livelihood within the reach of others, to whom occupation is thus furnished. Of this type is R. A. Welsh, one of the pioneers in the development of the great salmon industry of the Pacific northwest and widely known as the founder of the Bellingham Canning Company, whose destiny he has successfully guided for more than twenty years. He began his business career with no assets save youth, determination and intelligence and is a self-made man in the highest and best sense of the term.

Mr. Welsh is a native of England. He was born in Liverpool, October 23, 1864, and received a public school education. In 1882, when eighteen years of age, he responded to the call of the wild and gained a start in life by working on a Canadian farm, afterward taking up land in the vicinity of Moosejaw. He followed the occupation of farming for some time and in 1888 entered the employ of the Canadian Pacific Railroad Company, becoming station agent at Regina. In 1891 he embarked in the commission business at Vancouver, British Columbia, and in 1897 started a salmon cannery on the Fraser river. He sold the business in 1901 to the British Columbia Packers Association and had charge of their Puget Sound interests until 1904, when he organized the Bellingham Canning Company, of which he was since been the president. He secured a lease of the plant of the Washington Packing Company with the option to buy and a year later bought the lease from the bank by which it was held, subsequently purchasing the land.

In 1913 Mr. Welsh built the present plant, which has a frontage of two hundred feet on the bay and several acres in the rear, being obliged to level Dead Man's hill before beginning the work of construction. He has a six-line plant with a capacity of thirty-two hundred cases per day, and the company operates its own traps. Mr. Welsh purchased the holdings of Mrs. P. S. Cook on Strawberry bay, Cypress island, and other property and has a dozen or more fine fishing locations. He was the first man on the sound to operate a fish meal plant in connection with a cannery, and his well matured plans have resulted in many other innovations of value. He has a highly specialized knowledge of the salmon industry and has kept the firm not only in line with but also in the lead of its competitors, creating a business of extensive proportions. It was built upon the secure foundation of commercial integrity and typifies his progressive spirit and administrative power. The company employs one hundred and twenty-five persons on water traps and steamboats, utilizing the same number in the plant during the busy season, and sells its output through jobbers and brokers.

In 1893 Mr. Welsh married Miss Mary E. Lindsay, a daughter of Daniel and Ellen (Nicholson) Lindsay, the latter a native of England and a descendant of William Penn. Mr. Lindsay was a native of Scotland and in 1862 settled in Victoria, British Columbia. Mr. and Mrs. Welsh have two children: Doris, who is the wife of Norman Hill, a member of one of the old families of Port Townsend; and Robert A., Jr., a student at the Leland Stanford University of California. Mrs. Welsh was a director of the local Red Cross organization for many years and has been very active in religious, philanthropic, social and civic affairs. She was one of the founders of the detention hospital and has been chairman of its board of directors. She was a leading spirit in the movement which resulted in the establishment of the Tulip Festival, an annual floral celebration unsurpassed in beauty by any city in the country, and also aided in forming the local Young Women's Christian Association.

Mr. Welsh was chairman of the Whatcom county Red Cross committee for three years during and the World war did much to promote the success of the various drives. He is an ardent advocate of the Boy Scout movement and has been chairman of the Bellingham council for several years. For ten years he has been a director of the Chamber of Commerce and is a charter member of the Bellingham Golf & Country Club, of which he is also a director. He is a Rotarian and along fraternal lines in connected with the Masons and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He casts his ballot for the candidates of the republican party and is a faithful member of St. Paul's Episcopal church of Bellingham, contributing liberally toward the fund for the building of this fine edifice. In 1885, while a resident of Canada, he participated in the Riel rebellion and through personal experience has gained an intimate knowledge of frontier life in the northwest, when this vast empire bore little evidence of the civilization of the present day. His labors have constituted a vital force in constructive development and evolution and his prosperity has been honorably won and used for worthy ends.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 385-386.

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