CONRAD R. AXLING

Competition in the automobile trade is exceedingly keen, but possessing an alert mind and much force of character, Conrad R. Axling is well able to cope with modern commercial conditions. He is typically western and is coming rapidly to the fore in automotive circles of Lynden. A native of South Dakota, he was born May 21, 1880, and was a boy of nine when his parents, Peter and Sophia (Wall) Axling, migrated to the state of Washington. They settled on a ranch five miles northwest of Lynden and there spent the remainder of their lives. The father passed away in February, 1923, and the mother's demise occurred in 1915.

Conrad R. Axling attended the common schools of the locality and completed his studies in the high school at Bellingham. He assisted his father in performing the arduous work of the farm and devoted his attention to agricultural pursuits until 1912. He then became manager of the Lynden Cooperative Company and afterward resumed his activities as a ranchman. He continued to cultivate the soil until 1922, bringing his land to a high state of fertility, and then became an employe of the Smith Motor Company of Bellingham. He remained with that firm until 1925, when he returned to Lynden, and now has the local agency for the Chevrolet and Buick cars. He is a good salesman and nothing escapes him concerning the automobile trade. He is a tireless worker and under his wise management the business is making rapid strides.

In 1905 Mr. Axling married Miss Edna Baldwin, of Michigan, and they have two children: Clifton C., who is employed by the Standard Oil Company; and Glenn D., a high school pupil. Mr. Axling is identified with the Knights of Pythias and the Woodmen of the World, while his political views are in accord with the tenets of the democratic party. He was a member of the school board for fifteen years and has also filled township offices. He is a man of high character and progressive spirit, endowed with all the qualities of the useful and desirable citizen, and his fellow townsmen are thoroughly appreciative of his worth.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 181.

WILLIAM T. BARNUM

William T. Barnum, formerly a well known contractor, is now devoting his energies to the cultivation of the soil and has developed a fine ranch in Deming township. He was born November 25, 1862, and is a native of Durand, Wisconsin, of which state his parents, Thomas K. and Angie (Delano) Barnum were pioneers. The father afterward migrated to Washington and resided for some time in Centralia, subsequently establishing his home in Seattle, where he spent the remainder of his life. He followed the trade of a millwright. The mother's demise also occurred in Seattle.

William T. Barnum attended the public schools of Wisconsin and completed his studies in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was connected with building operations for a number of years, becoming thoroughly familiar with the work, and in 1900 embarked in the contracting business in Seattle. He was thus engaged for twenty years, filling many important contracts, and contributed materially toward the improvement of that city. In 1920 he retired from that line of business and has since followed agricultural pursuits. He owns a thirty acre ranch near Deming and in its operation utilizes the most advanced methods, devoting much thought and study to his work. His place is well cared for and is supplied with many modern improvements.

In 1894 Mr. Barnum was married, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Helen Garland, a native of Maine. She had two children by her first marriage, and her demise occurred in 1906. In 1909 Mr. Barnum was united in marriage to Miss Emma Williams, a daughter of Edward A. and Lydia (Owen) Williams, and a member of one of the pioneer families of Deming township, in which her brother, John F. Williams, settled in 1883. Another brother, Edward M. Williams, is one of the well known dairymen of this district and also operates a poultry farm. Mr. Barnum in connected with the Woodmen of the World and in politics is non-partisan, relying upon his own judgment in matters of this nature. He is liberal and broadminded in his views on all subjects and enjoys the esteem of many friends.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 572.

CHRIS N. BATHEN

C. N. Bathen, head to the Custer Mercantile Company of Custer and one of the most energetic and progressive merchants in Whatcom county, had a somewhat adventurous career before getting started in mercantile business twenty years ago but upon making that start found that he had at last struck his pace and he has long been recognized as one of the leading business men of this section of Washington. A Norwegian by birth, Mr. Bathen was born on a farm in the province of Bergen, not far from the city of that name, in 1872, and is a son of H. N. and Martha (Molland) Bathen, the latter of whom spent all her life in Norway. The old home farm in Bergen is now in the possession of Mr. Bathen's eldest brother. H. N. Bathen is now living in Norway. He will be recalled by the pioneers of Whatcom county as one of the men who helped clear the site for the Fairhaven settlement which in time became incorporated with the present city of Bellingham and was thus one of the men who helped pave the way the the "boom" which that site so greatly enjoyed in the days when it proudly proclaimed itself "The Focal City" and "The Imperial City". He had come to the United States on a general prospecting trip about 1880 and after residing for a time in Wisconsin and North Dakota came to the Puget Sound country in 1888 and took a part in development work here.

Reared in his native Norway, C. N. Bathen remained on the home farm until he attained his majority when in 1893 he came to the United States and joined his father at Fairhaven, finding the latter "baching" there. He remained with his father for a while but found prospects for work not at all what he had expected, for that was the great "panic" year in which Fairhaven's bubble of expected greatness burst, and he started south seeking employment at Burlington and Anacortes in the neighboring county of Skagit. Conditions there, however, were no more promising than he had found them at Fairhaven and he returned to the latter place. There were no jobs to be had, however, and he went to Birch Bay, where he found employment in a logging camp. He worked there until December and when it came time to draw his pay there was no money in sight and he walked back to Fairhaven without the wages he had been counting on. "Hard times" had the country in its grip and industrial operations here were practically suspended for the time. The young Norwegian adventurer began to wonder about the truth of the stories that had been so long coming into his home land of the great possibilities for constant work and big wages to be found in America. The thought of the wages he had been deprived of on the first job he had "landed" here continually rankled. The stories he had been hearing back in Norway had not prepared him for such callous treatment. In the following winter he got a job on the building of the road to Lake Samish. He got his pay for that work and his belief in American fair play was thus restored. Then he became employed in the lumber camps and as work along that line began to pick up again he continued this employment, working in various camps, until 1905. For ten years he had been saving his earnings and by that time had accumulated a fund that gave him warrant for the desire to leave the logging camps and get into a settled business of his own.

It was in 1905 that Mr. Bathen, in association with P. S. Mundal, bought the general store that was being operated at Custer by Walter Bronson and James Beatty, who had established themselves in business there the year before, starting their store in the abandoned school building which stood on the site of the present Bathen store. When Bathen & Mundal took over the business they extended the same, increasing their stock in preparation for a general neighborhood supply business. Mr. Bathen was the delivery man of the firm and he has not forgotten the long hard hauls he had to make on many an occasion and the tangled roads he encountered, it being necessary always to have an ax and a peavey on the wagon for the clearing of the ways that is some places he otherwise would have found impassable. For three years the firm occupied the old schoolhouse and then moved it to the back of the lot and built a more commodious store at the front, using the old building for reserve stock. In 1910 this old building was removed and additions built, the present building, forty-five by one hundred and twenty feet in dimension, being the largest store room in the county outside the cities. In 1922 Mr. Bathen took over Mr. Mundal's interest and has since been sole proprietor, doing business under the name of the Custer Mercantile Company, and has built up a fine trade. He carries everything required in the trade area centering at Custer, including groceries, hardware, dry goods, shoes, furnishings, crockery, paints and feed, perhaps the most complete general stock in the county, outside the cities.

In 1910 at Bellingham, Mr. Bathen was united in marriage to Miss Emma Larsen, whose acquaintance he had made in Wisconsin while on a visit with kinsfolk (sic) there, and they have a daughter, Margaret, born in 1915 and now in school. Mrs. Bathen was born in Dane county, Wisconsin, and is a daughter of Bjorgo Larsen, who had come to this country in the '60s. He is now living at Madison, Wisconsin. Mr. and Mrs. Bathen have a pleasant home at Custer and take an interested and helpful part in the general social activities of the community. Mr. Bathen is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, active in the affairs of that fraternal organization. He is widely and well known in commercial circles throughout the county and has long been recognized as one of the leading village merchants in this section.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 365-366.

CHARLES BERG

Through an active career, duty has ever been the motive power with Charles Berg, one of the well known farmers and public-spirited citizens of Ferndale township. Strong and forceful in all relations, he has gained and retains the good will and commendation of his associates and the general public, retaining his reputation for integrity and high character in all the relations of life. Mr. Berg is a native of North Dakota, where his birth occurred on the 12th of February, 1887.  His parents, John and Sophia (Olson) Berg, were natives of Sweden and Norway respectively. The father came to the United States in 1880, settling in North Dakota, where he homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land, to the cultivation of which he devoted himself for a number of years, when, in 1913, he went to Alberta, Canada, and engaged in farming there until 1923, when he sold out and is now living in Bellingham. To him and his wife were born nine children, namely: Mrs. Mary Darch, who lives in Garden Grove, California, and is the mother of five children; Charles; Mrs. Annie Anderson, who lives in Minnesota and is the mother of two children; Mrs. Ella Bainter, who is the mother of two sons; Mrs. Sadie Mohler, who lives in Seattle, Washington, and is the mother of two daughters; Mrs. Clara Van Dorn, who lives in Ferndale; Mrs. Eva Dahlberg, who has a son; Mrs. Hilma Wegensen, who lives in Seattle; and August, who is married.

Charles Berg received a good, practical education in the public schools of North Dakota and remained at home with his mother. In 1908 they came to Washington and she bought eighty acres of land in Ferndale township, three miles north of Ferndale, at that time covered with timber and brush. The son applied himself with vigor to the task of clearing the land and getting it ready for cultivation. Twenty-five acres are now under the plow, and diversified farming is followed, the principal crops being hay and grain, while a part of the land is in pasture. He keeps twelve good grade Jersey cows on his own account and operates the ranch for his mother. He is a thoroughly practical farmer, devotes his attention closely to every phase of the farm work and he and his mother have so managed the place as to realize a very satisfactory measure of success. Mr. Berg is a member of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association. Such a man is a credit to any community, for his actions are controlled by correct principles, and he has gained an enviable place in the confidence and good will of all who have come in contact with him. He takes a commendable interest in the public affairs of the locality and is regarded as possessing all the essential qualities of good citizenship.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 516-517.

HOWARD S. BROOKS

For eighteen years the name of Howard S. Brooks has figured prominently in business and real estate circles of Bellingham, and his rise in the world is attributable to untiring effort, tenacity of purpose and the wise utilization of his opportunities. A son of J. R. and Caroline A. (Abbott) Brooks, he was born December 21, 1860, and is a native of Door county, Wisconsin. He attended the public schools of Menominee, Michigan, and took a business course at Ann Arbor, that state. He also learned telegraphy and was engaged in that line of work for a short time, afterward acting as bookkeeper for various firms. He again became a telegrapher and later resumed his activities as a bookkeeper. He was engaged in insurance and tax accounting and at Menominee, Michigan, served as city clerk. He was next a grain salesman, traveling for six years, and then preempted a homestead in Michigan. He was a timber cruiser for a time and next became bookkeeper for a lumber firm of Wisconsin. In the financial panic of 1893 Mr. Brooks lost all that he had accumulated and was obliged to start life anew. For a brief period he managed the business of a company engaged in the shipping of cedar and then entered the logging business in Michigan. He bought and sold logs and timber products and continued in the lumber industry until 1908. He has since been engaged in the timber business, and also handles real estate in Bellingham and writes insurance. He has an expert knowledge of realty values in this locality and his work has been of much benefit to the city. He is one of Bellingham's best known realtors and a business man of high reputation.

In 1891 Mr. Brooks was united in marriage to Miss Kathryn Splane, of Wisconsin, and three children were born to them: Harold, who fought for his country in the World was and is now deceased; Maurice, who passed away in 1921, leaving a widow and two children; and Francis, who is married and resides in Bellingham. Mr. Brooks is an adherent of the republican party and conscientiously discharges the duties of citizenship but has neither sought nor held public office. By nature he is modest and unassuming and his genuine worth has won for him a secure place in the esteem of the residents of Bellingham.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 822.

ALLEN G. BURTENSHAW

The door of opportunity is ever open to the alert, and prompted by a laudable ambition Allen G. Burtenshaw has made the most of every opening presented for advancement, gaining a secure foothold in mercantile circles of Bellingham. He was born September 20, 1890, in Whatcom county, a representative of one of its old and honored families, and he is a son of Thomas Henry and Elizabeth (Sleasman) Burtenshaw, the latter a native of Pennsylvania. The father was born in Kentucky and came to Whatcom county in the early '80s, taking up a homestead at Goshen. He proved up on his claim and after years of ceaseless toil transformed the tract into a fertile farm, on which he made many improvements. He operated the place until 1905, when he retired, and he has since lived in Bellingham. The mother passed away in 1891, while her son, the subject of this sketch was but an infant.

Allen G. Burtenshaw received a public school education and gained a start in life by working in the lumber mills of this district. He afterward clerked in various stores, becoming thoroughly conversant with mercantile affairs, and in 1922 decided upon an independent venture. In partnership with Samuel Sunel he opened a clothing store in Bellingham, securing a good location at No. 108 West Holly street, and they have since owned and conducted the business. They specialize in men's furnishings, carrying a large and carefully selected stock, and in the intervening period of four years they have established a good trade by strict attention to business, wise management and honorable dealing.

In November, 1915, Mr. Burtenshaw was united in marriage to Miss Florence Graham, of Bellingham, and they have two children, Evelyn and Beverly. Mr. Burtenshaw maintains an independent attitude in politics and his support if given to the candidate whom he believes best fitted for office. He belongs to the Lions Club and is also connected with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. A sagacious young business man, he is well able to cope with modern commercial conditions, and he has many sincere friends in the county in which his life has been passed.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 9.

CHAUNCEY T. CANFIELD

In the path of an orderly progression, each step being made at the cost of earnest labor and close application, Chauncey T. Canfield has reached the goal of success, and the strength that he manifests in business circles of Bellingham has its root in an upright, honorable manhood that has won for him the unqualified respect of all with whom he has been associated. He was born in 1851 in Connecticut and attended the public schools, his youth being spent on his father's farm. He was connected with agricultural pursuits until 1871 and then entered the employ of the Erie Railroad Company. He remained in the east until 1882, when he went to North Dakota, and also engaged in railroad work in that state. He was called to public office in 1884, becoming auditor of Eddy county, North Dakota, and served in that capacity for five years.

The year 1889 witnessed Mr. Canfield's arrival in Whatcom, Washington, and for a time he was a clerk in a general store. He has been connected with the abstract business since 1890 and is now manager and secretary of the Bellingham Abstract Company. The other officers are A. M. Muir, president; J. B. Bennett, vice president; and Cyrus Gates, treasurer. The business was incorporated in April, 1924, and was started June 18, 1924. The corporation took over the interests of the Abstract Title & Insurance Company, which was organized November 1, 1909, and also absorbed the business of five other companies then operating on the bay. These were the firm of J. P. De Matos, which was formed in 1886; the Pettibone Brothers Abstract Company, established in 1888; Bennett & Clark, successors to Meyer & Scott, established in 1886 and one of the three original firms in this locality; Muir & Muir, who in 1900 became owners of the business of Butler & McCarty, founded in 1890; and the Bellingham Bay Abstract & Title Insurance Company. The business of the last named corporation was founded in 1890 and started in the Citizens Bank building at Fairhaven, now a part of Bellingham. It was moved to Whatcom, April 1, 1900, and in June, 1901, to No. 113 Prospect street. Subsequently it was located at the corner of Bay and Holly streets but in 1914 was again established in the Prospect street building, which is the present home of the Bellingham Abstract Company. This corporation has the most complete set of books in the county and ranks with the largest abstract firms in the northwest.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 608.

IRA J. COOK

I. J. Cook, the popular and efficient postmaster of Deming, has been identified with business interests of the community for more than twenty years and is largely responsible for its progress along educational lines. He was born December 8, 1872, and is a native of Des Moines, Iowa. His parents were John King and Rosetta (Phillips) Cook, the former a native of Indiana and the latter of Pennsylvania. They settled in Iowa in 1866 and later moved to Kansas. The father entered a homestead in Lyon county and subsequently migrated to Oklahoma, spending the remainder of his life in that state, in which the mother's demise also occurred.

I. J. Cook attended the public schools of Kansas and obtained his start in business life by clerking in stores. He came to Whatcom county in 1905 and opened a general store in Deming in partnership with H. B. Orr. Later he withdrew from the firm and became associated with D. A. Griffin & Company, general merchants. He disposed of his stock in the concern in 1921 and is now selling fire insurance. He is well informed on matters pertaining thereto and has established a profitable business, manifesting executive ability and good judgment in its management.

In 1904 Mr. Cook married Miss Jennie Holton, a native of Illinois and a daughter of Chandler Holton. The children of this union are: Mildred, now the wife of Norman Macaulay, of Deming; and John, who is attending the public schools. Mr. Cook is a stanch adherent of the republican party and since 1912 has been postmaster of Deming, discharging his duties in a highly creditable manner. He is an ardent advocate of the cause of education and for sixteen years was a member of the local school board. It was owing to his indefatigable efforts that Deming secured the new union high school, which was recently completed and represents an expenditure of one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars. Mr. Cook is identified with the Knights of Pythias and also belongs to Bellingham Lodge, No. 194, of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. He has ever been actuated by an unselfish spirit of devotion to the general good and his influence up the life of his community has been of the highest order.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 531-532.

MINNIE CLARK

Minnie Clark is well known as director of the Bellingham School of Music and Art, which has contributed not a little to the cultural advancement of the city. She is a native of Kansas and a daughter of E. B. and Mary E. Clark, who were born in Kentucky and Missouri, respectively. Her father, who was successfully engaged in the contracting business during his active career, lived in honorable retirement prior to his death, which occurred in 1923. Her mother departed this life in the year 1908. E. B. Clark gave his political allegiance to the democratic party and fraternally was identified with the Masonic order.

Minnie Clark, who spent the period of her childhood in the Sunflower state, arrived at Bellingham, Washington, on the 16th of September, 1900. Here she taught music for a number of years, while for three years she was connected with the Wilson & Briggs Music company on Elk street. Thereafter she instructed music pupils in her home until about 1917, when she became a piano teacher in the Bellingham School of Music and Art, which was then under the direction of John A. Van Pelt. It has an annual enrollment of about eight hundred. Mr. Van Pelt was succeeded as director by H. Goodell Boucher, the predecessor of Miss Clark, who has been in charge of the school since 1922. Miss Clark has membership in the Bellingham Music Club, the Chamber of Commerce, the Business and Professional Women's Club and the P. L. F. Club. She was reared in the faith of the Methodist church and has conformed her life to its teachings. Her highly developed skill as a musician has won her an enviable place in Bellingham's art circles and her attractive personality has gained her deserved popularity among her many friends.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 532.

ARTHUR BASIL CULMER

Arthur Basil Culmer, deputy collector of internal revenue, with offices in the federal building at Bellingham, is thoroughly imbued with western energy an determination, and he also had to his credit a fine military record. He was born April 23, 1879, in Salt Lake City, Utah, and his parents, William H. and Mary Jane (Butters) Culmer, were natives of England. They were among the early settlers of Utah and the father became well known as a statistician, architect and builder. He located in Bellingham in 1899 and in September, 1901, his wife joined him in this city, bringing their two children, a son and daughter. The mother has passed away and William H. Culmer now makes his home in San Diego, California.

 Arthur B. Culmer received his higher education in the Utah Agricultural College and was graduated with the class of 1900, winning the degree of Civil Engineer. After coming to Bellingham he was in the men's furnishing goods business for five years, after which he obtained a position in the office of the city engineer and was there employed until 1917, when his patriotic spirit prompted him to offer his aid to the nation in its hour of peril. He joined the Twenty-third United States Engineers, with which he went to the front, and spent sixteen months abroad. His term of service covered twenty-two months, and he now holds the rank of second lieutenant in the Officers Reserve Corps. In February, 1920, he was appointed deputy collector of internal revenue and has since filled this office of trust, having charge of Whatcom, Skagit and San Juan counties. He give to the government the best service of which he is capable and his reward is the reputation that results from duty well and faithfully performed.

On September 27, 1923, Mr. Culmer was united in marriage to Miss Jennie Shives, a native of Missouri and a daughter of William Shives. Mr. Culmer belongs to the American Legion and along fraternal lines is connected with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, while his political allegiance is given to the republican party. He loyally supports every movement destined to prove of benefit to the community and measures up to the full stature of American manhood and citizenship.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 43.

EDWARD GLASS

A native of Holland, he was born on the 21st of October, 1858, and is a son of Henry and Bessie (Hage) Glass, who spent their lives in Holland. Their son Edward was educated in the public schools of his native land and, his parents having died, began to make his own way in the world at the early age of 11 years. He was employed at farm work and also served in the army. In 1881 he came to the United States, locating in Michigan, where he engaged in farming on a tract of 60 acres which he bought. He remained there 22 years and in 1903 went to Great Falls, Montana, where for a year he was in charge of a large ranch. He then bought 160 acres of land in Farmington, Teton county, Montana, which he cultivated for one year and then sold, going to British Columbia, where he lived for a few months. Coming to Lynden, Whatcom county, Mr. Glass rented land for 3 years, at the end of which time he bought 120 acres of land, located one and one half miles south of Lynden, about half being cleared and the remainder being in brush and stumps. He cleared it all, raising hay and grain and established a dairy, owning 22 cows. After living there 6 years, he traded that place for an 80 acre farm on Ten Mile road, which he later sold to his two sons, and then bought a general store on the Guide Meridian highway.

Mr. Glass was married, November 1, 1890, to Miss Alice Van der Yacht, a native of Holland and a daughter of Albert and Barbara (Bleecher) Van de Yacht, both deceased, the father dying in April 1919, and the mother in 1888. To Mr. and Mrs. Glass have been born 8 children, namely Henry, who is married and has 2 children, Evelyn and Margaret; Albert, who is married and has 4 children, Genevieve, Laura, Floyd and Clifford; Mrs. Barbara Constant who is the mother of 6 children, Edward, Harold, Lucille, Orvil, Gladys and Donald; Benjamin, who also is married; Mrs. Bessie Barr, who has 2 children, Helen and Ida Barr; Ida Glass, who is a graduate of the Laurel high school, attended the State Normal College at Bellingham 1 year, and had one year in business college, and is now assisting her father in the management of the store; George and Raymond, who are at home. Mr. & Mrs. Glass are earnest members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Glass is a republican.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 741-742.

FRED W. HANDY

It is an unquestionable fact that the biographies of enterprising and successful men serve as guides and incentives to others. In the cases of many of the men who have been identified with the development of Whatcom county it would seem that the apparently insurmountable obstacles that have confronted them have but served as a stimulus to greater effort and ultimate success. Fred W. Handy, one of Nooksack's enterprising farmers and public-spirited citizens, has succeeded in his life work solely through his own unaided efforts and his persistency along well directed lines of labor, and today he holds a high place in the esteem of all who know him. Mr. Handy was born at Palmyra, Wayne county, New York, on the 14th of October, 1867, and is a son of Lewis and Euceba (Winston) Handy, both of whom also were natives of New York state. The father was a cooper by trade, which occupation he followed until 1873, when he moved to Banker Hill, Kansas, where he homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of prairie land, to the cultivation of which he devoted himself until 1887, when he retired and moved to Shasta county, California, where he spent the remaining years of his life, dying there September 4, 1908. His wife had preceded him in death many years, having passed away in 1881. They were the parents of two children, Fred W. and George.

Fred W. Handy received his educational training in the public schools of Kansas, to which state he went with his parents when he was six years of age. He lived on the home farm and was employed in that neighborhood until 1890, when he came to Whatcom county, Washington, locating in the Nooksack valley. In the fall of 1899 he bought forty acres a half mile northeast of Nooksack, the land being densely covered with timber and brush, and to the improvement of this tract he at once set himself. He first built a house and then directed his energy to the herculean task of clearing the land. The amount of labor required is well understood by those familiar with conditions at that time, and he has his now practically all cleared and under cultivation. The field crops are mainly hay and peas, with some acreage in sugar beets, which have proven a profitable crop here.  He keeps five good grade milk cows and some chickens, and he is very comfortably situated, his ranch being numbered among the good farms of this locality.

On January 13, 1892, Mr. Handy was married to Miss Emma Bulmer, a daughter of John and Jane (Morrell) Bulmer, both of whom were natives of England, where the father was born October 16, 1835, and the mother October 27, 1831. Jane Morrell was a favorite servant in the household of Lord Byron, the poet. John Bulmer was proud of the fact that he threw a railroad switch on the Darlington & Stockton Railroad for the first locomotive built in England. He was a tailor by trade and followed that vocation in England until 1870, when he came to the United States, locating in Clay county, Kansas, where he homesteaded eighty acres of land, to which he later added by purchase eighty acres. To the improvement and cultivation of this tract he devoted himself until 1891, when he came to Whatcom county, locating in Nooksack, where he spent his remaining years, his death occurring in 1900. To him and his wife were born the following children: John; G. D., whose personal sketch appears elsewhere in this work; Thomas, deceased; Joseph, who lives in Bellingham; Emma, Mrs. Handy; and Kate, the wife of I. B. Carman, of Nooksack. To Mr. and Mrs. Handy have been born eight children, namely: Mrs. Jennie Metcalf, who is the mother of four children, Stanley, Lewis, Leroy and Morrell; Mrs. Bessie Nelson, who is the mother of two children, Edith and May; Mrs. Helen Olin, who has four children, Vernon, Melvorn, Lois and Beth; Lewis Earl, who is married and has two children, Morrell and Arvilla; Mrs. Josephine Johnson, who is the mother of a daughter, Jean; Jack, who is married; George Oscar, who remains at home; and Mrs. Dorothy Hannowell.

Fraternally, Mr. Handy is a member of Nooksack Camp, Modern Woodmen of America, and of the Grange and the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association. He is deeply interested in everything relating in any way to the advancement of the community or the welfare of his fellow citizens. He maintains a generous attitude toward all benevolent or charitable organizations and is genial and friendly in all his social relations. He has a wide acquaintance throughout this section of the county and his fellow citizens accord him the highest measure of confidence and esteem.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 189-90.

HANS C. HANSEN

Though of European birth, H. C. Hansen, one of the well established farmers and dairymen of Custer township and proprietor of a well kept place on rural mail route No. 2 out of Ferndale, has been a resident of this country for many years and of Whatcom county for the past thirty years. Mr. Hansen is a Dane, born in the kingdom of Denmark, October 25, 1848, and is a son of Hans Christian and Christiana (Andreasen) Michelsen, also natives of that country. The mother lived to be eighty-two years of age. The father was a government pilot and his last days also were spent in his native country.

Reared in his native land, H. C. Hansen was early employed at farm labor and was thus engaged until eighteen years of age, when he entered upon military service and while with the army finished his schooling and learned the trade of brickmaker. When his three years in the army had passed he was employed as a journeyman in various places in Denmark and remained there until 1886 when he came to America, proceeding to Olympia, Washington, where he found employment at his trade. For twelve years Mr. Hansen made his home in Olympia and then came to Whatcom county and for two years thereafter made his home in the vicinity of Bellingham, engaged in cutting shingle bolts. In 1900 he bought the tract of eighty acres on which he is now living in Custer township and settled down to improve the place, which in due time he developed into a good farm. He made substantial improvements on the farm, including the erection of a seven-room dwelling house which was destroyed by fire in 1923. Of late years Mr. Hansen has given his particular attention to dairying and has a good herd of graded Jersey cattle. He is a member of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association and his operations are carried on in up-to-date fashion. Mr. Hansen was one of the organizers and a member of the first board of directors of the Farmers Mutual Telephone Company, and was one of the most active factors in securing initial subscribers to the same. In other ways he has been helpful in local development work and has long been accounted one of the substantial citizens of the community in which a quarter of a century ago he elected to make his home. He is a member of the local grange of the Patrons of Husbandry and of the Fraternal Union of America and he and his wife are members of the Congregationalist church.

Mr. Hansen has been married twice. His first wife, Maryanna Sorensen, whom he married in Denmark, died in Olympia in 1896 and on October 25, 1900, at Bellingham, he celebrated his fifty-second birthday by marrying Miss Anna J. Showers, who had some to this county in 1898. Mrs. Hansen was born on a farm in the vicinity of Zanesville, Ohio, daughter of A. B. and Mary Jane (Terrill) Showers, who were the parents of nine children. By his first wife Mr. Hansen had five children, namely: Christina, who died at Olympia not long after the arrival of the family there; Linde, now living in Bellingham, who married Zena Lee and has two sons; Chester, a Mountain View farmer, whose wife, Katy Long, died leaving five children; Louis Hansen, who died on the home farm in 1906, and Madda, who married R. Elliott and is now living in Alberta, Canada.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 812.

JOHN H. HARVEY

J. H. Harvey, chairman of the board of supervisors of Custer township and a member of that board since the township was organized, was formerly for years overseer of highways in that district and in other ways has long been actively identified with public service. He is also one of the substantial landowners of Custer township and a progressive poultryman and orchardist, with a well improved place on rural mail route No. 2 out of Blaine. He is a Canadian by birth but has been a resident of Whatcom county for almost forty years and is thus properly accounted one of the pioneers of this region, for when he came here modern development work was just getting a good start. Mr. Harvey came by the Winnipeg route in midwinter and still retains vivid recollections of the temperature of sixty degrees below zero that was prevailing much of the time spent on this journey.

Born in the province of *Ontario, Canada, February 9, 1853, J. H. Harvey is a son of John James M. and Agnes (Storey/Storie) Harvey, both of whom were born in that province, the former a son of a Scotsman who had taken up his residence there about a month prior to the birth of his son John. Reared on the home farm in Canada, J. H. Harvey grew up familiar with farm and timer operations and as a young man became connected with the timber industry, working in the woods and mills until May, 1881, when he came to the States and preempted a tract of land in what then was the Territory of Dakota. He settled in northern Dakota, and in the next year married and established his home on that place, where he remained for seven years. In the fall of 1887 he disposed of his holdings there and came to Washington, coming by way of Winnipeg, and arriving on December 1 at Blaine which was entering upon a stage of development that gave every promise of being a "boom" and Mr. Harvey got in on the crest of that boom. He established himself as a freighter and for three years remained there, doing a good business. He then settled down to his old vocation of farming, renting for a couple of years, and in 1893 bought the place on which he is now living, he and his family being very comfortably situated. About three acres was cleared when he took charge and the remainder of the clearing has been done under his direction. In addition to general farming he gives considerable attention to poultry raising and horticulture operations and is doing well. Not long after he took up his residence here Mr. Harvey was elected road supervisor of his district and in that capacity did much to promote the extension of the good roads movement. When Custer township was erected into a separate civic entity he was elected a member of the board of township supervisors and by successive reelections has been retained on that body, being now president of the board. The registration rolls of the township have been in his charge since 1916.

It was on November 29, 1882, in Dakota Territory, that Mr. Harvey was united in marriage to Miss Mary McInnes, who was born in Ontario, daughter of Archibald and Rachel (Lecksie) McInnes, and to this union six children have been born, namely: Wallace, who died in childhood; Mabel, who died when four years of age; Ethel B., who married G. J. Stewart and died in 1920; Leslie M., who is a veteran of the World war; Nellie, who died at the age of ten years; and Clara B., who married M. G. Still and is now living in California. Leslie M. Harvey, who is connected with the operations of his father's place, rendered military service in connection with this country's participation in the World war, serving from July 12, 1918 to April 2, 1919, and was a corporal in the Motor Transport Corps, in service at Camp Lewis. The Harveys are members of the Free Methodist church and have ever taken an interested and helpful part in the good works and general social activities of the community of which they so long have been a part and in which they are so firmly established.  *Note: Obit of James M. Harvey says he was from Quebec province.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 477-78.

CHARLES W. HENDERSON

Possessing a courageous spirit and a self-reliant nature, Charles W. Henderson has made his own way in a land far removed from his native country and is now numbered among the prosperous dairymen of Lawrence township. He was born January 7, 1875, in Sweden, and his father, Hendrick Anderson, still makes his home in that country. In 1896, when a young man of twenty, Charles W. Henderson severed home ties, joining the tide of immigration to the United States. He spent six years in Providence, Rhode Island, and in 1902 came to Whatcom county. For several years he was connected with the lumber industry, working in various mills, and in 1917 invested his savings in land. He purchased a tract of thirty-three acres in Lawrence township and has since made his home on this property. Seventeen acres are under cultivation and the balance is pasture land. He has a well equipped dairy and owns a valuable herd of cattle, specializing in pure bred Guernseys. He recently built a fine barn, and his well improved farm reflects the progressive spirit and enterprising methods of its owner.

In 1903 Mr. Henderson was married, in Seattle, Washington, to Miss Anna Marie Johnson, also a native of Sweden, and they have a family of seven children: Thelma, who is the wife of Herbert Oliver, of Tacoma, and the mother of a son, Robert C.; Oscar, at home; Ella, who is attending high school; and Henry, Edward, Edna and Anna, who are grammar school pupils. The family are adherents of the Lutheran church, and in politics Mr. Henderson follows an independent course, regarding the qualifications of a candidate as a matter of first importance. He is serving on the township board of supervisors and conscientiously discharges the duties and obligations of citizenship. He belongs to the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association and is contributing his quota toward the development of one of Washington's chief industries.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 859.

CARL HERMAN HOFF

Carl Herman Hoff is known throughout the Pacific northwest as a successful lumberman, and for more than a quarter of a century his energies have been directed into this field of activity. He has aided in framing the laws of his state, and Lawrence has derived additional prestige from his citizenship. He was born January 24, 1878, in Wisconsin, to which state he father and mother, Hans Christian and Caroline (Lunde) Hoff, went with their parents early in the '50s. Hans C. Hoff followed agricultural pursuits in Wisconsin until 1881, when he settled on a ranch in Nebraska, and for several years was a resident of that state. In 1891 he came to Whatcom county, Washington, and purchased a tract of sixty acres in Lawrence township, casting in his lot with its early settlers. He cleared his land and as the years passed converted the place into a productive farm. Death summoned him in 1918, and the mother passed away in 1915. They had three children: Mrs. K. A. Sorenson, whose husband is manager of the Grange warehouse at Bellingham; Gustave C., who is living in Ephrata, Washington; and Carl Herman.

Carl H. Hoff attended the public schools of Nebraska and Washington and also had the benefit of a course in a business college at Parkland, Washington. He was employed as a clerk in Bellingham and in 1897 opened a store in Lawrence. He conducted the business for three years and in the spring of 1900 formed a partnership with James Pinkey. They conducted shingle mills in various parts of the country and now have a large mill of this nature at Kulshan, with a force of thirty-five men. They have also established a sawmill in Kulshan, having twenty-five workers in the plant, and sixty men are employed in their logging camps. Since 1909 the business has been conducted under the style of Hoff & Pinkey, Inc., and the subject of this sketch is filling the offices of secretary and treasurer. The members of the firm are exceptionally capable business men, well informed on matters pertaining to the lumber industry, and the output of their mills is of high quality, finding a ready market in the coast cities.

In 1900 Mr. Hoff married Miss Josephine Tollum, a daughter of Christian and Helga Tollum, who migrated from North Dakota to Washington in 1888 and have since made their home in Whatcom county. Mr. and Mrs. Hoff have three children: Hubert James, who is a young man of twenty-three years and assists his father in business; Raymond, aged eighteen years and a high school student; and Caroline, a child of five years.

Mr. Hoff has a beautiful home in Lawrence and also owns valuable farm land in this vicinity. He is affiliated with the Lutheran church and his political allegiance is given to the republican party. He served for many years on the school board and for four sessions was a member of the state legislature, to which he was first elected in 1911. He carefully studied the problems brought before the house and gave his earnest support to all measures which he believed would prove of benefit to the commonwealth. Mr. Hoff owes his rise in the business world to a capacity for hard work, coupled with the ability to meet and master situations, and is honored and respected for his integrity, enterprise and public spirit.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 522-23

.

LARS HOWEM

Lars Howem is an influential member of the Scandinavian colony of Lawrence township and one of its prosperous agriculturists. He was born September 16, 1858, and is a native of Norway. He crossed the Atlantic in 1895, arriving in the United States on the 1st of June, and at once started for Whatcom county, in which his brother Ole had settled in 1882. The latter entered a homestead in Lawrence township, which was then a wilderness, and wildcats, bears, deer and other animals roamed through the dense forests. The subject of this review lived with his brother until the latter's demise in 1920, aiding him in the operation of the homestead, of which he has since had charge. He has cleared the tract and now has eighty acres of fertile land. He has a good home and is constantly improving the place, which presents a neat and attractive appearance. He has made a close study of agricultural science and utilizes the most effective methods in the cultivation of the soil.

In 1894 Mr. Howem was married, in Norway, to Miss Carrie Olson, a native of that country, and five children were born to them namely: Martha, who is the wife of Israel Putnam, of Bellingham, and the mother of two daughters, Eunice and Gertrude; Sigurd, who assists his father in the conduct of the farm; Gertrude, a teacher of music and a resident of Bellingham; Gunhild, the wife of Frank Hatley, who is engaged in teaching at Deming and has a son, Lowell; and Johanna, a high school student.

The family are Lutherans in religious faith and Mr. Howem exercises his right of  franchise in support of the candidates and measures of the republican party. He served for one term on the school board and his support can always be counted upon to further projects for the general good. His son Sigurd belongs to the Whatcom County Poultry Raisers Association and he is a member of the Dairymen's Associating. Mr. Howem is deeply attached to the country of his adoption and a wide circle of loyal friends is indicative of his personal popularity.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 259-260.

CHARLES C. IRELAND

A highly productive farm in Mountain View township pays tribute to the care and labor bestowed upon the property by its owner, Charles C. Ireland, who is widely and favorably known in Whatcom county, in which he has resided for a period of twenty-eight years. He was born March 16, 1858 in Dubuque, Iowa, and his parents, Christopher E. and Fannie (McMasters) Ireland, were natives of Canada, in which country they were married. The father was born on Prince Edward island and migrated to Iowa early in the '50s. He was engaged in farming in the Hawkeye state for many years and in later life came to Whatcom county, Washington, where he passed away in 1903, while the mother's demise occurred in 1920.

Charles C. Ireland attended the public schools in his native state and after his education was completed followed the occupation of farming for a time, later opening a hardware store in Kingsley, Iowa. He conducted the business for six years, building up a good trade, and then went to Florida. He spent ten years in the Seminole state and on the expiration of that period returned to the west, settling in Whatcom county in 1897. He lived in Bellingham for four years and then purchased a tract of forty acres in Mountain View township, near Ferndale, where he has since resided. He grows the grains best adapted to soil and climatic conditions in this region and has an orchard of eleven acres, raising fine varieties of pears, plums and prunes. He adds to his income by the operation of a dairy and has also won success in the poultry business. Constant reading and study keep him well informed regarding the latest developments along agricultural lines, and his work is systematically and efficiently conducted.

In 1880 Mr. Ireland married Miss Annie E. Davis, also a native of Iowa, and two children were born to them. Melissa, the elder, is the wife of Monte Sheppard, of Bellingham, and the mother of three children. The son, Charles E., resides at home and assists his father in the conduct of the farm. Mr. Ireland maintains an independent attitude in politics and is liberal and broadminded in his views on all subjects. He has served on the school board and loyally supports every project for the general good. He is a member of the Grange and the Poultry and Dairy Associations of Whatcom county. His work has constituted a vital element in the development of this district, and at the same time he has won that individual prosperity which is the legitimate reward of a life of industry and thrift.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 548.

W. H. JACKMAN

W. H. Jackman is one of the enterprising farmers and influential citizens of the western part of Whatcom county. His life has been a busy and successful one fraught with much good to his fellowmen, for, while laboring to advance his own interests, he has never been neglectful of his larger duties to the public. His record is worthy of perusal by those who would learn the intrinsic essence of individuality and its influence in moulding public opinion and giving character and stability to a community. W. H. Jackman was born in Iowa on the 26th of October, 1870, and is a son of Martin L. and Ellen (Townsend) Jackman, natives of New York state, the father born December 20, 1830, and the mother March 7, 1836. The father, who is now deceased, went to Iowa in 1853, being a pioneer of Bremer county, where he located and homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land. He devoted his attention to the operation and improvement of that ranch until 1888, when he brought his family to Whatcom county. He bought a small ranch north of Lynden, which he operated until his retirement, when he moved into Lynden, where he lived until his death in June, 1906. His wife died November 14, 1925. Of the nine children born to them, five are now living: Mrs. Emma J. Arnold, of Los Angeles, California; Stephen T., of Lynden; Mrs. Effie Kelly of Lynden; Mrs. A. R. Smith of Seattle, and W. H.

The last named secured his educational training in the public schools of Iowa and Lynden, and after completing his studies remained at home until his marriage when he bought on hundred acres of the the old homestead from his brother Fred, the land being located three and a half miles northwest of Lynden. At that time it was badly encumbered with brush and stumps, but Mr. Jackman has cleared sixty acres, which he has under cultivation, the remainder of the farm being in timber and pasture. He built a fine new house on the place in 1895 and has otherwise made many substantial improvements, which have contributed to the value of the farm. He raises grain, corn and hay and has the farm well stocked, keeping fifteen high grade Jersey cows, three work horses, and about eight hundred chickens. The farm machinery is of the best and most modern type. he has good barns and chicken houses, and conducts his farming operations in a manner that reflects creditably on his ability and judgment.

Mr. Jackman has long taken an active part in local public affairs and has been an important factor in the welfare of his community. He has been treasurer of Delta township ever since its organization in 1912 and has also served for three years as a member of the board of supervisors. In educational affairs he has evinced the deepest interest and has been clerk of the school board of Sunshine district ever since its organization, in 1898. He is a stockholder of the Lynden Creamery, of which he has been treasurer for the past ten years and is a member of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association, the Whatcom County Poultry Association and the Whatcom County Farm Bureau. Fraternally he is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, belonging to Lodge No. 56, at Lynden; the Modern Woodmen of America, and he and his wife belong to Lynden Chapter No. 12, Order of the Eastern Star, the oldest chapter in the state. Mrs. Jackman is also a faithful and earnest member of the Methodist Episcopal church at Lynden.

On October 30, 1895, Mr. Jackman married Miss Mary Shoemaker, who was born in Cass county, Michigan, a daughter of B. P. and Ellen (Eddy) Shoemaker, the latter born at Three Rivers, Michigan, March 26, 1842. The father, who was born at Andover, New York, October 16, 1837, left Michigan November 5, 1888, and came to Skagit county, Washington, where he lived for three years, during which period he served as United States deputy marshal. He then retired and came to Lynden, where he spent his remaining years, his death occurring February 11, 1925; his wife dying February 24, 1915. The father had gone from his native state to Michigan in 1855, locating in Van Buren county, of which he was a pioneer. To him and his wife were born three children: Mary; Benjamin, living in Ketchikan, Alaska, and Clarence D., who died in 1911. Mr. and Mrs. Jackman have two children. Orel Eva is the wife of Paul Helgath, of Seattle, and they have a son Paul Helgath, Jr., born October 17, 1925; Ellen Louise, is the wife of Harry Orner, of Corvallis, Oregon, where he is engaged in the butcher business, and they have a son, William Jackman, born April 16, 1925. Both daughters graduated from the high school at Lynden and from the Oregon Agricultural College, at Corvallis, Oregon, in 1920 and 1921 respectively. Mr. Jackman's energetic nature, strong determination, sagacity and capable management have not only brought him material success, but also the confidence and esteem of his fellow citizens generally.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 759-760.

EASTON JACOBSON

For more than thirty years Easton Jacobson, one of the veteran merchants of Bellingham, the proprietor of a well stocked and admirably appointed grocery store on Eleventh street, has been a resident of this city and he thus has seen it develop from a group of wrangling villages along the Bay into its present compact and well established proportions. Mr. Jacobson is a native of Norway, born in 1863, a son of Jacob and Annie Jacobson. Jacob Jacobson spent all his life in his native land, and some time after his death his widow came to this country, her last days being spent in Wisconsin.

Easton Jacobson was reared in his native country and there remained until he was twenty years of age when, in 1883, he came to the United States and became employed in farm labor in Wisconsin. He presently became the owner of a farm in Vernon county, that state, and after his marriage in 1886 established his home in that place. In 1893 he closed out his holdings there and came to Washington, in the fall of that year settling at Fairhaven, where he became employed in the lumber mills. Three years later, in 1896, he entered upon his mercantile career by becoming employed as a clerk in a local grocery store, and in 1904 he bought the S. M. Wood store at the corner of Twenty-first and Harris streets and became engaged in business in association with H. N. Anderson. For fourteen years Mr. Jacobson continued in business at that old stand, or until 1918, when he sold out, intending to retire. The lure of business proved too strong, however, and in 1920 he bought the A. L. Steinwick store on Eleventh street and resumed the grocery business. In 1923 he leased his present building, a well adapted structure forty by one hundred feet in ground dimension, at No. 1204 Eleventh street, and he has since been engaged in business there, being the proprietor of one of the best stocked and most up-to-date grocery stores in the city.

It was in 1886, in Wisconsin, that Mr. Jacobson was united in marriage to Miss Katherine Forton, who also was born in Norway and who had come to this country with her parents in the days of her girlhood. To this union twelve children have been born. Two sons died in infancy and ten children survive -- three sons, who are associated with their father in business, and seven daughters. The latter are all married and Mr. and Mrs. Jacobson have nine grandchildren, in whom they take much pride and delight. Annie Jacobson, the eldest daughter, married O. L. Sandwick of Bellingham and has two sons. Sophia Jacobson married N. Strand of Bellingham and has one daughter. Tillie Jacobson married P. K. Knutson of Bellingham and has two sons. May Jacobson married S. Sandel of Bellingham. Amanda Jacobson married Peter Johnson of Bellingham and has three sons. Julia Jacobson married George Morgan of Bellingham and has one son. Eda Jacobson, the youngest daughter, married S. F. Dewey and is now living in St. Louis, Missouri. As noted above, Mr. Jacobson's sons, Edward, George and Arthur, are associated with him in the grocery business on Eleventh street, the partnership forming a most effective and successful commercial combination.

The Jacobsons are members of the Lutheran church and are republicans, and they have ever taken a proper interest in church work and in the various good works of the community, as well as in the city's general civic affairs. In addition to the old established family residence in Bellingham, Mr. and Mrs. Jacobson have and attractive country home, a twelve room house with an individual water system, electric lights and all modern conveniences. It occupies a three acre tract which has been admirably parked and is situated within the city limits of Bellingham.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 108-109.

MEREDITH JONES

Among the pioneer citizens of Mountain View township must be numbered Meredith Jones, who has been there for thirty-five years and helped to clear and develop that section of the county. Mr. Jones came from Nebraska, where he had been farming, and on reaching Whatcom county took over a small tract of timber land on section 28 and began to clear the same, "working out" during the days and carrying on his clearing operations at night. He presently got his place started and has long been well established here, his chief attention being given to raising chickens and berries, and is doing well.

Mr. Jones was born in Exonia in the valley of the Rock river in southern Wisconsin, June 9, 1859, and is a son of John and Sarah (Evans) Jones, natives of Wales, who were married in Ohio and whose last days were spent in Wisconsin. John Jones came to this country in 1830 and was employed on the construction of the Erie canal, working west to Sandusky, Ohio. He afterward was employed in the Wisconsin lead mines and later settled at Jefferson, where he worked in the mills. He also had a small farm in that vicinity. It was thus that Meredith Jones was reared at Jefferson. In the spring of 1870, some time before he attained his majority, he went to Nebraska and preempted a quarter of a section of land in Buffalo county, settling down to make a farm out of his prairie holdings. He married there in the summer of 1884 and continued to make his home on that place until 1891, when he closed out his holding and came to Whatcom county. W. J. Morseman, one of the earlier pioneers of Whatcom county, was one of Mr. Jones' neighbors in Nebraska and his letters to the folks in the prairie state gave such glowing reports of  conditions and possibilities here that several Nebraskans were induced to sellout and come to the northwest, a decision which they never have had occasion to regret. Among these is Mr. Jones. Upon his arrival here he bought a five acre tract of uncleared land not far from where Mr. Morseman had settled and he is now living there, having developed a fine property. Half of his place is devoted to his berries - raspberries, loganberries, blackberries and strawberries- and the greater part of the remainder of the place is given up to chickens, of which he now has no fewer than five hundred. Mr. Jones has another tract of twenty acres in Mountain View township and has long been recognized as one of the substantial citizens of the community in which he lives. He is a member of the Poultry Association and the local grange of the Patrons of Husbandry and has in various ways rendered public service, a former deputy assessor of Mountain View township and for years a member of the school board in his district.

On July 15, 1884, in Nebraska, Mr. Jones was united in marriage to Miss Theresa Jilg, who was born in Austria, near the line of Bohemia, and who had come to America when a child, about 1870, with her parents, Antone and Theresa (Franks) Jilg, the family settling in Nebraska, where her father became a miller. Both of Mrs. Jones' parents died in Nebraska. To Mr. and Mrs. Jones ten children have been born, namely:  Clyde, now connected with the state fish hatcheries, who is married and has three children; Leslie, a deputy game warden, who also is married and has three children; Chester, who died when twenty-three years of age; Fanny, who died at the age of fourteen; Elmer, a veteran of the World war with a record of overseas service, who is now living at Soap Lake (Grant Orchard); Theresa, who married H. J. Perry of the Northwest Hardware Company, Bellingham, and has three children; Florence, who married Walter Demorest of Everett and has two children; George, who was killed in an automobile accident at Ferndale in 1923; Cecil, who is connected with the operations of the Northwest Hardware Company at Bellingham; and Luella, who is at home. Elmer, fifth child and fourth son of this interesting family, was with the Headquarters Company of the Three Hundred and Sixty-first Division of the American Expeditionary Forces in France during the World war, a musician, and his name was twice posted on the casualty list, first as having been slightly wounded in battle and then as having been gassed.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 805-806.

DAVID KITZEL

The day of the pioneer in this county is practically gone and we are in the midst of stability and permanency. Nevertheless, there are still among us many representatives of that sturdy band who came to Whatcom county in the early days and who through their indefatigable industry, untiring perseverance and foresight developed this region into one of the best sections of the state. Among these is David Kitzel, who has spent over forty years here, during which time he has taken an active part in the great transformation of the county, and his reminiscences of the early days are extremely interesting.

Mr. Kitzel was born in Bavaria, Germany, on the 12th of January, 1856, and is a son of Conrad and Cathrina (Stephan) Kitzel, both of whom also were natives of that country, where they spent their entire lives. Our subject was reared under the paternal roof and secured a good education in the public schools. From the ages of twenty-one to twenty-four he performed military service in the national army and then, in 1881, emigrated to the United States, landing at the port of New York. He went on the Cleveland, where he remained nearly two years with relatives, and during that period was employed in wineries. He then went to Montana, but did not like that section of the country, and one month later came to Washington, stopping at Seattle for a few days and then coming to his present location. In 1883 he homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of raw land, of which he still owns one hundred and forty-three acres. Before crops could be planted it was necessary to remove the virgin timber which covered the tract, and to this task he at once applied himself. For three or four years after locating here it was necessary for him to pack in all his provisions, there being no roads in this locality, but eventually he and his neighbors helped to build a road to Blaine, where most of their trading was done, though they also traded at Semiahmoo. Wild animals such as bears, deer and wildcats, were plentiful and caused the settlers a good deal of trouble. One persistent old wildcat stole Mr. Kitzel's chickens night after night and was so ferocious that the dogs were afraid of him, having been severely clawed in their attempts to kill him. Finally, after a long watch, Mr. Kitzel shot the animal while it was in the act of catching a hen. Mr. Kitzel now has about thirty acres of his land cleared and in cultivation, while the timber has been slashed on about the same acreage. He carries on a general line of farming and also has a nice bearing orchard of apples, cherries, prunes and pears, kept mainly for home use. He also keeps a number of milk cows and some hogs. His fertile and well cultivated fields yield sufficient grain and hay for his stock, and the farm buildings are of a substantial character, so that he is very well situated and in comfortable circumstances.

Mr Kitzel has been twice married, first in 1881, to Miss Catherine Hahan, a daughter of Ludwig Hahan, who was a native and lifelong resident of Germany. To this union were born seven children, namely: David, who lives in British Columbia; Mrs. Annie Humber, of Montana, who is the mother of three children; Mrs. Louisa McWinney, of Westminster, is the mother of one child; Emma, who is the wife of Fred Warrington, of Westminster, and has one child; George, who lives in British Columbia, is married and has one child; Mrs. Mary Ayers, who died in 1918, leaving three children; and Mrs. Katie Banter, of Westminster, who has two children. The mother of these children died in 1900 and in 1902 Mr. Kitzel was married to Miss Emilie Seline, who was born in Germany but was brought to this country by her parents when four years of age. Her father, John Seline, was a farmer by occupation and was universally respected among those who knew him. To the second union have been born three children: Richard, who is at home; Nettie, who lives in Tacoma; and Elsie, at home. Mr. Kitzel has been a public-spirited man in his attitude toward the welfare and progress of the community and rendered effective service for two years as road supervisor. His energetic nature, strong determination and capable management have brought him prosperity, and he merits the high place which he holds among his fellow citizens.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 900-901.

ALFRED C. KNOWLES

A. C. Knowles is widely known as one of the industrious and enterprising farmers of western Whatcom county, where he has lived for about thirty-five years. His well directed efforts in the practical affairs of life, his capable management of his business interests and his sound judgment have brought him a large measure of success, and he enjoys the respect and esteem of all who know him. Mr. Knowles was born in the state of Kansas in 1874 and is a son of Rev. D. L. and Annie M. (Owens) Knowles, the former a native of Delaware and the latter of Ohio. The father is now deceased and the mother is living in Portland, Oregon, at the age of eighty-five years. Rev. Knowles had long been an active minister in the Methodist Episcopal church, but his health failed and in the hope of regaining it he came to Seattle, Washington, in 1887, and there lived for four or five years. In 1892 he came to Ten Mile township and located on twenty acres of land on the old Telegraph road, only a small part of which was cleared. He brought with him his wife and five children, the latter being George W., now of Portland, Oregon; Samuel; Alfred C; Charles, who died in 1924; and Annie, now Mrs. Long, of Portland.

A. C. Knowles received a good public school education and remained on the home place until his marriage, when he located on a farm on the Smith road, remaining there until 1907, when he bought his present place of forty acres in Ten Mile township. With the exception of some cedar that had been cut off the place, the land was uncleared, and Mr. Knowles at once went to work to get the land in shape for cultivation. His first act was the clearing of a small tract, on which he built a house, and he then devoted himself earnestly to the development of a farm, in which effort he has been very successful, now having about fifteen acres cleared and in cultivation, the remainder of the tract being devoted to pasture. He is giving his attention mainly to dairy and poultry farming, in both of which lines he has prospered, and is now in very comfortable circumstances. His land is fertile and well cultivated and he produces all the feed and green stuff required for feeding purposes. The improvements on the farm are all of a permanent and substantial character and he is well equipped for the work to which he is devoting his energies.

In 1901 Mr. Knowles was married to Miss Grace Eaton, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, a daughter of William and Hattie (Roberts) Eaton, the former a native of Indiana and the latter of Michigan. Miss Eaton came to Whatcom county in 1900 to make her home with her sister, Mrs. J. F. Meeks. To Mr. and Mrs. Knowles have been born four children, namely: Wilbur, Alfred, Josephine and Delbert, all of whom are at home excepting Alfred, of Bellingham, who married Miss Hazel White and has one child. Mr. Knowles is a member of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association and the Whatcom County Poultry Association. Fraternally he is a member of the Woodmen of the World while his religious affiliation is with the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he takes an active interest. He has been prominent in local public affairs and served one term as road supervisor. He is a man of splendid character, genial and friendly in his social relations and generous in his giving to benevolent objects, and he has gained and retains a high place in the esteem of his fellow citizens.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 371.

GEORGE D. LAMPMAN

G. D. Lampman, one of the well known and substantial farmers and landowners of the Mountain View neighborhood, living on rural mail route No. 3, out of Ferndale, has been a resident of Whatcom county for more than twenty years and is thus thoroughly acquainted with conditions here. A native of the Wolverine state, he was born in Eaton county, Michigan, September 5, 1871, and is a son of Samuel and Sarah (Dean) Lampman, the latter born in that county, the Deans having been among the pioneers of that section of Michigan. Samuel Lampman, a carpenter, was a native of New York but had been a resident of Michigan since the days of his childhood.

Reared in Eaton county, G. D. Lampman finished his schooling in the Parrish Business College at Grand Rapids and when twenty-six years of age was employed as a barber. He remained in Michigan until 1903, when he came to Washington and after a brief residence in Bellingham became established in the barber business at Blaine. Seven years later he bought a small ranch in the vicinity of that city and there remained until 1914, when he and his family removed to their present well kept and admirably improved place in the neighborhood of Mountain View. This is a part of the old pioneer Smith quarter section, opened by H. A. Smith, father of Mrs. Lampman, in 1873. Following her father's death, in 1908, she inherited twenty acres of this place and Mr. Lampman later bought an adjoining twenty acres of the tract, so that they now have forty acres, will improved and under profitable cultivation. In addition to general farming Mr. Lampman gives considerable attention to dairying and also raises his hogs and sheep. He is a member of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association and is widely known throughout the county.

It was in October, 1905, that Mr. Lampman was united in marriage to Miss Alice Smith and they have three children, Wave, Dean and Lloyd. Mrs. Lampman was born in Whatcom county and is a daughter of the late H. A. and Alice (McComb) Smith, both of whom were born in Quincy, Illinois. The former died here in 1908. His widow survived him about a year, her death occurring in 1909. Mrs. Lampman's grandmother, Mrs. Jordan, is well remembered by the surviving pioneers of Whatcom county, for in her generation she conducted one of the first hotels established in Bellingham. H. A. Smith was one of the substantial pioneer farmers of the county, was widely known throughout this region and at his passing left a good memory in the community which he had done much to help develop from its pristine state.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 835.

OTTO LARSON

The Scandinavian races have constituted a strong and dominant element in the upbuilding of the great empire of the northwest, and to this sturdy type of men belongs Otto Larson, one of the well-to-do agriculturists of Lawrence township. He was born August 6, 1863, and is a native of Norway. In 1888 he heard and heeded the call of adventure and transferred his allegiance to the United States. Coming to Washington, he located first at Port Madison and afterward spent a short time in Tacoma. He reached Fairhaven in 1890 and decided to settle in Lawrence township. No roads had been made in the district and in every direction stretched miles of dense forests, the tall pines almost obscuring the sun. Mr. Larson purchased a tract of thirty acres and zealously applied himself to the task of clearing the land and preparing it for the planting of seeds. As time passed he wrought a marked transformation in the appearance of the place, building a good home and making other improvements as his resources permitted. He now has a productive farm, on which he operates a dairy, and is also engaged in the poultry business.

In 1891 Mr. Larson married Miss Keia Kuntsen, who was also a native of Norway, and their union was severed by her demise in 1916. She had become the mother of four children: Jennie, now the wife of Carl Hansen, of Sumas, Washington; Carl, who operates a ranch in the vicinity of Sumas; Otto Christian, who is living in Florida; and Alfred. For his second wife Mr. Larson chose Mrs. Mina Mortensen, who has four children by her first marriage, namely Seivert, Paul, Christian and Anna. Mr. Larson belongs to the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association and is a republican in his political convictions. He filled the office of township clerk for two terms and served for many years on the school board. He was instrumental in promoting the educational advancement of the district, and his industry, public spirit and probity are qualities which have established him high in the esteem of his fellowmen.

 History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 781.

ARTHUR W. LINN

Arthur W. Linn, one of the representative business men of Sumas and formerly mayor of the town, received no assistance at the outset of his career and all that he now possesses has been won through the medium of his own efforts. He was born January 12, 1884, in the state of Minnesota, and is a son of John and Mary (Linnell) Linn, natives of Sweden. They have lived in Minnesota since pioneer times, and the father has reached the ninetieth milestone on life's journey, while the mother is eighty-four years of age.

Arthur W. Linn received his education in the public schools of his native state and in 1901, when a youth of seventeen, came to Washington. He attended a business college of Seattle and worked for several years in Whatcom county, filling various positions. He saved as much a possible from his earnings and in 1911 embarked upon an independent venture. In partnership with Roy C. Tudor he opened a grocery store in Sumas, and they have since conducted the business. Their stock is always the best that the market affords, the prices are reasonable and the business in conducted in accordance with the highest standards of commercial ethics. The members of the firm are enterprising business men of good judgment and have established a large trade.

In 1907 Mr. Linn married Nannie Holmberg, who was born in Minnesota and came to Seattle during her girlhood. Six children were born to them, but Willard, the second son, died in infancy, and Ray, the fourth in order of birth, is also deceased. The others are: Vernon, a student at the University of Washington and a member of the Beta Kappa fraternity; Ruth, aged twelve years; and Leonard and James.

Mr. Linn is allied with the republican party and for three years was a member of the Sumas board of aldermen. He served as mayor for two years and his administration was strongly commended, being directed by a loyal and sincere regard for the people's interests. He is secretary and one of the trustees of the Sumas Roundup Association, which he aided in organizing, and along fraternal lines is connected with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. He is loyal to every cause which he espouses and faithful to every duty, and the respect accorded him is well deserved.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 262.

RALPH P. LOOMIS

R. P. Loomis, the executive head of the Union Trust Company of Bellingham, has devoted his life to the banking business. He was born at Fairfield, Iowa, in 1878 and is a son of A. and Martha (Wylie) Loomis, pioneers of South Dakota. For many years the father was a recognized leader in banking circles of Redfield, where he is now living retired, but the mother has passed away.

Mr. Loomis completed his education in Redfield College and was afterward appointed deputy treasurer of Spink county, South Dakota, acting in that capacity for two years. He next became cashier of the Western National Bank of Mitchell, South Dakota, and in 1908 came to the state of Washington. He established the First National Bank of Malden and was its cashier for three years, after which he severed his connections with the institution. He then went to Seattle as cashier of the Metropolitan Bank and in 1920 accepted a similar position in the Northwestern National Bank of Bellingham. Local conditions and nationwide movements influenced the directors to apply for a trust company charter and on July 1, 1925, the Union Trust Company of Bellingham was incorporated, starting business with a capital of one hundred thousand dollars and a surplus of twenty thousand dollars.

The officers are R. P. Loomis, president; P. H. Browne, vice president; and Harold H. Lutz, cashier. The board of directors is composed of Dr. Albert I. Bouffleur, chief surgeon of the Chicago, Milwaukee and Saint Paul railway, Seattle; W. P. Brown, judge of the superior court; P. H. Browne, manager of the Caine-Grimshaw Company; Clay C. Davis, manager of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association; Dr. S. S. Howe, a specialist in diseases of the eye, ear, nose and throat; R. P. Loomis; T. C. McHugh, president of Montague & McHugh, Inc.; Edward H. Miller, senior member of the firm of Miller & Hawkins, realtors; Dr. E. W. Simpson, physician and surgeon; and Pelagius Williams, head of the social science department of the State Normal School. More that thirty other successful business and professional men are stockholders in the corporation, thus carrying out the original plan of a community bank, having sympathetic contact with all lines of trade, industry and the professions. The company deals in investment securities, including real estate mortgages, and in addition to its trust powers possesses all of the privileges conferred on banks. Owing to his broad experience, administrative power and financial acumen Mr. Looks is exceptionally well qualified for the responsibility of directing the activities of the institution. It is thoroughly equipped to render important service to the city, which now has a population of thirty-six thousand and is situated in one of the richest counties, with the most varied products and industries in the state of Washington.

In June, 1903, Mr. Loomis married Miss Edna Stark, of Redfield, South Dakota, and they now have a family of five children: Esther, a senior in the State College at Pullman; Clifford, who is attending the State Normal School in Bellingham; and Ernystene, Vernon and Everett, all of whom are public school pupils. Mr. Loomis is a prominent Kiwanian, serving as lieutenant governor of the district, and has been president of the local club. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity and is chairman of the members' council of the Chamber of Commerce, of which he is also a trustee. Mr. Loomis is a business man of the highest ability and integrity and is a loyal, progressive citizen, filling an important place in the life of his community.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 116-117.

HYLAND D. McARTHUR

As a result of his manifold activities for the general good Hyland D. McArthur has been constantly in the public eye, and as county assessor he has established a record which redounds greatly to his credit. A native of Canada, he was born April 16, 1863, and was sixteen years of age when his parents, Donald J. and Hannah (Ward) McArthur, moved with their family to Michigan, in which they settled in the fall of 1879. Hyland D. McArthur attended the public schools of the Dominion and after his education was completed engaged in teaching in Michigan. On June 11, 1888, Donald J. McArthur arrived in Bellingham, where he was joined by the subject of this sketch in July, and in the autumn of that year the remainder of the family came to the city. At that time there were but thirteen families in Sehome and pioneer conditions prevailed. The father entered the real estate field, also becoming an insurance agent, and success attended his labors. Eventually he was able to retire, and his demise occurred in January, 1924, while the mother passed away in 1904.

Hyland D. McArthur was associated with his father in the real estate and insurance business and in 1889 was appointed to fill a vacancy as school clerk. Finding that the district had only fifteen dollars in the treasury, he headed a subscription list and in one and a half days raised the sum of two hundred and fifty dollars. School was conducted in the basement of the Presbyterian church until the Sehome school building was erected, and it was paid for within a year by direct taxation. Mr. McArthur was also clerk of the town of Sehome and in the spring of 1900 was appointed deputy assessor. He filled the position for twelve years, also acting as deputy treasurer, and for nine years has served as county assessor. He has thoroughly systematized the work, which is performed with speed and accuracy, and brings to the discharge of his important duties expert ability and a keen sense of his responsibilities. He is rendering valuable service to the county and has clearly demonstrated that he is the right man for the office.

Mr. McArthur was married October 15, 1911, to Miss Alice M. Frost, of Bellingham, who was formerly a high school teacher, and Janet, their only child, is eleven years of age. Mr. McArthur is identified with the Knights of Pythias and has taken the fourteenth degree in Masonry. He was secretary of the McKinley Club at the time the "Little Major" was elected the nation's chief executive and has served on the republican state central committee, exerting a strong influence in party affairs. Mr. McArthur is always in the van of every movement looking toward the accomplishment of real and practical good, and his public spirit, fidelity to duty and unswerving integrity have met with a rich return of personal regard.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 554-555.

JOHN and RALPH McILROY

Ralph McIlroy, one of the well established farmers and landowners of Mountain View township, proprietor of a well improved place on rural mail route No. 2 out of Ferndale, was born in Muscatine, Iowa, December 27, 1883, and is a son of the late John and Anne (McDermot) McIlroy, the latter of whom was born of Irish parents in Preston, England, October 9, 1852. She came to this country at the age of sixteen and was making her home with an uncle in Illinois at the time of her marriage to Mr. McIlroy in April, 1872. The latter was born in the town of Dungannon, County Tyrone, in the province of Ulster, Ireland, July 12, 1842, a son of a merchant, and was there reared, remaining in his home place until 1866, when he came to this country and became employed in farming in Illinois. After his marriage there he established his home on a farm in Iowa and there remained until 1884, when he disposed of his holdings in that state and came to the coast country, engaging in dairying in the Coos bay region in Oregon. Not long after his arrival there he bought on speculation a quarter section of land in  the Ferndale neighborhood in this county and in 1891 moved with his family to Ferndale. While getting his uncleared tract ready for cultivation he for several years made his home on the Coffelt farm and when he had a house erected on his own place moved into it and there continued to reside, engaged in general farming, until his retirement in 1919. He and his wife then made their home with their daughter, Mrs. Sarah Davis, on Coos river, Coos county, Oregon, and there their last days were spent, Mrs. McIlroy's death occurring August 24, 1923 and Mr. McIlroy's December 14, 1923. They are survived by three children, the subject of this sketch having a sister, Sarah, the widow of J. B. Davis of Sutherlin, Oregon, and a brother, George McIlroy, who married Maude Sumner of Kansas and is now living in Coos county, Oregon.

Ralph McIlroy was but a lad when he came to this county with his parents in 1891, and his education was completed in the Mountain View schools. He helped his father clear and develop the home farm and has ever since been engaged in farming operations there, in proprietary charge since his father's retirement in 1919. In addition to his general farming he gives considerable attention to dairying and poultry raising and is doing very well. The place is well improved and he and his family are very comfortably situated.

On January 21, 1902, on the island of San Juan, out in the strait, Mr McIlroy was united in marriage to Miss Josephine V. Ergler, and they have five children - 2 sons, James Bluford and Clements Vance; and 3 daughters, Nora Arabelle, Bertha May and Laura Goldie, all of whom are at home. James B. McIlroy, born 1903, is now a valued aid to his father in the operations of the home farm, and Clements also helps his father. Miss Nora McIlroy finished her education in the State Normal School at Bellingham. The other children are still in school. Mrs. McIlroy was born in Nebraska Nov. 7, 1886, and was but a girl when in 1897 she came with her parents to Whatcom county, the family for some time residing in the Mountain View neighborhood. She is a daughter of Joseph and Theresa (Glatter) Ergler, who are now living in Alberta. Both are natives of Austria, born of German parents. Joseph Ergler was born May 20, 1848, and Theresa Glatter January 4, 1854, and they were married in 1872. Mr. Ergler came to Americas in 1877 and his wife came 3 years later. One child, also a girl, in Austria but died in infancy. Another child, also a girl, was born in America and likewise died in infancy. John F. was born 1882. He now resides in Canada and since 1909 has engaged in farming and cattle raising. Rudolph H. was born in 1884, and died March 1, 1925. He leaves a family of three children. Josephine V. was born in 1886, as above stated. Mrs. Ergler died Nov 13, 1919. Mr. Ergler has retired and lives with his son John. He was in railway service in Colorado before he came west. After residing for a time in Nebraska he had moved to Colorado and thence to this state.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 858-859.

HANS MILLER

Through a residence of over thirty-five years in Whatcom county, Hans Miller, long one of the progressive and enterprising farmers of Ferndale township, has been successful in his operations, and having accumulated a competency, he is now spending his declining years in quiet and in the midst of plenty in his beautiful and comfortable home in that township. He is widely known as a man who can be trusted at all times and under any circumstances and who has been honorable and successful in business, loyal to his duties of citizenship and faithful to his friends. Mr. Miller is a native of Denmark, born on the 22d of July, 1858, and is a son of John and Margarita Miller, both of whom were natives and lifelong residents of that country, where the father followed the trade of a carpenter. To this worthy couple were born four children: Rasmus, John, Hans and one who died in infancy.

Hans Miller was reared and educated in his native land, remaining there until 1881, when, at the age of twenty-three years, he came to the United States in search of his fortune. For a number of years after coming here he lived in Michigan, Indiana and Illinois, and in 1889 he came to Whatcom county and rented land, which he cultivated, at the same time being employed in the shingle mills. He was industrious and thrifty, and in 1900 he was enabled to buy one hundred acres of land which he had leased two years previously. Nearly all of this tract was in brush and stumps, but he applied himself vigorously to the task of improving it, clearing eighty acres, which he cultivated. He ran a dairy, keeping twenty-five milk cows and about ten young cattle, as well as three head of horses, in addition to which he also kept several hundred chickens and turkeys. He planted the land to grain and root crops and also raised considerable hay, exercising sound judgment in all of his operations, his efforts being rewarded with a very fine measure of success. In 1913 he erected a commodious and substantial barn on the place and in 1917 built a modern house, which materially increased the value of the property. In 1919 Mr. Miller bought seven acres of land on the Blaine highway, one mile east of Ferndale, and in the following year built a splendid home there, in which he now lives, having rented the large ranch. The residence is comfortable and attractive, being supplied with all modern conveniences, while the grounds surrounding the house are in perfect keeping with it, the flower and vegetable gardens being maintained in fine condition. A broad cement automobile driveway curves through the front of the property, connecting the two gateways, and the general appearance of the place indicates the owner to be a man of up-to-date ideas and excellent taste.

On December 22, 1888, Mr. Miller was married to Miss Mary Engle, who also was born in Denmark, a daughter of Laust and Margratha (Christensen) Engle. The father died in his native land, May 1, 1879, and his widow then came to the United States, making her home in Michigan, where she resided until her death, which occurred in 1910. To Mr. and Mrs. Engle were born the following children: Laust, Christine, Carolina, Laura, who died in 1913, Hans, Andrew, who died in 1914, Lawrence, George, who died when a baby, Mary (Mrs. Miller), and one who died in infancy. Mr. Miller has always stood ready to aid in pushing forward the wheels of progress in his locality, and his career has been one that has gained for him a high place in the regard of the entire community in which he has lived for so many years.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 486-489.

GEORGE H. MOON

George H. Moon, one of Bellingham's prominent contractors, has a state-wide reputation and his success is doubly creditable because it has been won through strenuous effort and the exercise of the qualities of perseverance and thrift. A son of John and Thirzah Moon, he was born November 21, 1869, and is a native of Toronto, Canada. He had no opportunity to secure an education, becoming a wage earner when a mere child, and at the age of sixteen was at the head of a large contracting firm. His boyhood was spent in Iowa and he remained in the middle west until 1901, when he came to Bellingham. For several years he was in the employ of the well known contracting firm of Brooker & Campbell, discharging the duties of foreman and superintendent, and in 1914 started out for himself. His business has grown rapidly and he now has a large force of men, doing work in Seattle and throughout Washington as well as in Vancouver, British Columbia, and other important cities of the northwest. He has constructed a number of mills and bridges and also built the dormitory for the State Normal School at Bellingham. He never allows the smallest detail of a contract to be slighted, carefully inspecting the labors of those in his employ, and his work is of high character and uniform excellence.

In 1896 Mr. Moon was united in marriage to Miss Mary Bloss, and they have become the parents of two children: Clarence, who assists his father in business; and Marguerite, who is attending college. Mr. Moon is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and his political allegiance is given to the republican party. He is accorded the respect which the world ever yields to the self-made man, and his constructive labors have been of signal service to the city and state of his adoption.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 529.

HARVEY BRAINARD NILES

Harvey Brainard Niles, one of the pioneers of northwestern Washington, has been engaged in merchandising at Deming for more than a quarter century, and all that he now possesses has been gained by hard work and strict attention to business. He was born February 25, 1861, and is a native of Halifax, Vermont. His parents were Stephen B. and Clarissa (Harris) Niles, the former of whom enlisted in the Union army in September, 1861, and on April 16, 1862, was killed at the battle of Lee's Mills near Yorktown.

Harvey B. Niles was reared and educated in Brattleboro, Vermont, and when but thirteen years of age was left an orphan by the death of his mother. He remained in the east until 1880 and when a young man of nineteen went to Kansas, going to Colorado a few years later. He came to Bellingham, then known as Whatcom, in 1885 and on May 1 of that year became the owner of the Terminus Hotel, also acquiring a meat market. He sold the business at the end of one and a half years and in 1887 was made post trader on the Indian reservation. He filled the position for five years and then purchased a store at Clearlake, Washington, of which place he was postmaster for seven years. In March, 1899, Mr. Niles opened a general store in Deming, and for twenty-seven years he has successfully conducted the business. The building in which he first located was destroyed by fire in 1924 and he now occupies a smaller store. He carries merchandise of good quality and his commercial dealings have always balanced up with the principles of truth and honor.

In January, 1886, Mr. Niles married Miss Mary Phelan, a niece of Mrs. M. J. Clark, and their union was severed by her death in February, 1906. They had a family of eight children, but the first and second died in infancy, while Leo, the sixth in order of birth, reached the age of twenty-two years. The others are: Clinton Edward, a well known merchant of Sumner, Washington; Jesse N., who is associated with his father in business; Edward Samuel; Alice, the wife of Cecil Jordan and a resident of Lyman, Washington; and William Andrew. Mr. Niles is connected with the Ancient Order of United Workmen, being a charter member of the lodge at Sedro Woolley, and his political allegiance is given to the democratic party. He has many loyal friends in northwestern Washington, and his reminiscences of the early days are interesting and instructive.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p.513.

JOHN OTLY

John Otly of Custer is one of the pioneer farmers and landowners of Whatcom county. He has been a resident here since 1888 and has thus seen this region develop from its primeval state, for when he came here little had been done in the way of agricultural development. When he took his farm lands in Custer township there was no roadway into that section and he had to pack his goods and chattels over the trail from Semiahmoo. In the winter of 1889 he and the Porters and some others of the scattered settlers cut a road through the woods into that district. Mr. Otly's dwelling house there was the first permanent home erected in that section of the wilderness. He started there with a "forty" and after he improved that bought an additional tract of twenty acres and to this later added a tract of fifteen acres. Mr. Otly has devoted himself to general farming, dairying, poultry and hog raising and his operations have been profitable, he long having been recognized as one of the substantial farmers of his section of the county. For nearly forty years he has given himself to the promotion of the interests of the community and in the pleasant "evening time" of life has a right to view with calm satisfaction the accomplishments of his busy and useful life.

Mr. Otly was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in October, 1851, and is a son of George and Henrietta (Lansing) Otly, the latter of whom was born in the kingdom of Holland and came to this country with her parents when seventeen years of age. George Otly and his wife spent their last days in Whatcom county, the former dying in 1896 and the latter in 1906. George Otly, a native of the state of New York, was a veteran of the Mexican war, and was a trained millwright. For some time after his military service he worked at his trade in Michigan and then settled in the immediate vicinity of the growing city of Milwaukee, buying there eighty acres of land that now is within the city limits. He later made his home in Dodge county, Wisconsin, and after awhile homesteaded a tract of land in Pierce county in the extreme western part of that state, which he developed. Upon his retirement from business he and his wife came to Whatcom county, where they spent their last days.

Due to the changes of residence made by his parents during the days of his youth John Otly's education was from time to time interrupted by having to change schools, but he was a good student and these interruptions did not materially interfere with the progress of his studies. In young manhood he was for some time employed in railway construction work and after his marriage settled down to farming in Pierce county, Wisconsin. He also did considerable carpenter work, for there was a continual call for carpenters throughout that region in those days of the late '70s and early '80s when settlers were arriving in considerable numbers. In the spring of 1888 Mr. Otly disposed of his holdings in Wisconsin and came to Washington, joining his brother-in-law, C. F. Stoops, who had settled in Whatcom county some time before and had sent back word concerning the possibilities of settlement here. Mr. Otly bought forty acres of land in the Haney settlement from his brother-in-law and settled down to clear the tract and make a farm out of it. He has since been a resident of this county and has never had occasion to regret the choice which caused him to come here. In 1895 he bought more land and in time had one of the best farms in the neighborhood. He has ever operated along the lines of diversified farming, raising "anything that pays," and has done well.

It was on June 13, 1877, in Wisconsin, that Mr. Otly was united in marriage to Miss Emma Stoops and they are now hoping to celebrate their golden wedding, in the summer of 1927 in which their many friends throughout the county will join in a general congratulation and felicitation. Mrs. Otly was born in Wisconsin, and daughter of John and Elizabeth (Seward) Stoops, pioneers of that state, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Illinois. John Stoopes [Stoops] had mining interests in Pennsylvania prior to his removal to Wisconsin. To Mr. and Mrs. Otly five children have been born, namely: George, now living in Custer, who married Roby Maxwell and has two children, Hazel and Maxwell; Ray of Bellingham, who married Anna Salshrom and has two children, Lloyd and Cecil; Elsie, who died at the age of five years; Roy, who was killed by an accidental gunshot when nine years of age; and Elgie who devotes his time to music and farming and continues to make his home with his parents. The Otlys have a pleasant home at Custer and have ever taken an interested and helpful part in the general social activities to the community of which they so long have been a part.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 374-377.

GEORGE S. PETERSON

Industrious, ambitious and capable, George S. Peterson has advanced far on the highway which leads to success and now occupies an enviable place in business circles of Ferndale. He is active in public affairs and is also numbered among the progressive agriculturists of the county. He was born August 4, 1881, in the state of Minnesota, and is a son of N. P. and Emma Peterson, who arrived in Ferndale in 1901. For a number of years the father operated a ranch in this locality but is now living retired in Bellingham.

George S. Peterson came to Whatcom county in 1900, when a young man of nineteen, and gained the start in life by working in lumber camps. He acquired practical knowledge of the lumber industry and later aided in establishing a mill at Ferndale. He was connected with the plant for three years and then joined his brothers, Ernest and Edward, in starting a shingle mill at Columbia, where he spent a year. He then began speculating in farm land. He now has a tract of one hundred and twenty acres and has cleared and developed eighty acres, devoted to general farming. He brings to the cultivation of the soil intelligence and efficiency, which are the basis of all success, and adds to his income by the raising of chickens. His place is well improved and his work is conducted along systematic lines. In 1923 in association with Charles Holeman and Ellsworth Unick he organized the Mountain View Lumber Company, and as a result of their combined efforts the business has enjoyed a steady growth. The mill has a capacity of eight thousand feet per day and its output is sold principally to railroads. The firm is prompt and dependable in executing orders and the industry mirrors the progressive spirit and high principles of the men at its head.

In 1907 Mr. Peterson married Miss Sophie Omli, a native of  Minnesota and a daughter of Thomas Omli, one of the early settlers of Whatcom county. To this union have been born five children, four daughters and one son, namely: Olga, Clara, Esther, Victor and Anna. Mr. Peterson was road boss for two terms and is now serving for a second term on the board of township supervisors, of which he was chairman in 1924. He is an earnest and untiring worker for the good of his community and holds a secure place in public confidence and esteem.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 553.

HARVEY O. PIKE

Harvey O. Pike, well known farmer in the vicinity of Everson, Whatcom county, may justly bear the title of self-made man, having by hard and unremitting effort worked his way from a modest beginning to an admirable and influential position among the successful men of his locality. The success attained in his enterprises has been due to his persistence, integrity and excellent judgment, which qualities have brought him also the universal esteem and respect of his community. Mr. Pike is a native of the state of Iowa, born on the 6th of October, 1877, and is a son of Charles and Armenia (Daly) Pike, the latter of whom was a native of Ohio. Charles Pike was born and reared in New York state, whence he went to Iowa about 1852. He engaged in farming, which vocation he followed there until 1878, when he went to Minnesota, which was the family home until 1907, at which time he sold his land there and came to Whatcom county. On arriving here he bought thirty acres of land one mile east of Everson, which he cleared of the heavy growth of timber and brush which covered it, and there he spent the remainder of his days, dying April 4, 1925, in the ninety-third year of his age. His wife is still living, at the age of eighty-seven years. They were the parents of nine children, all of whom excepting one are living, namely: Edith, Frank, Sherman, deceased, Roxie, Winifred, Harvey O., Homer and Lloyd.

Harvey O. Pike was about a year old when the family moved to Minnesota and in the public schools of that state he secured his education. He came with his parents to Whatcom county and remained with them until his marriage, when he located on ten acres of land which he had purchased, located about a mile east of Everson, and where they are now living. In the development and cultivation of this place Mr. Pike has been far more than ordinarily successful. His principal field crops are hay, grain and peas, of which he raises fine crops. In other lines of effort he also has met with very gratifying success. He has two and a half acres in berries, of which one acre in 1924 gave the remarkable yield of six tons, and in 1925 one acre of beans yielded seven tons. Having fully demonstrated the adaptability of his land to berries, he is going to plant several acres more to that product. He also gives considerable attention to dairying, keeping ten good grade Holstein cows and ten head of young stock. Mr. Pike also owns twenty acres of land adjoining the home place, and he and his brother Lloyd own a forty-acre farm in partnership, on which land they have a large, bearing cherry orchard.

On January 2, 1914, Mr. Pike was married to Miss Florence Connor, who was born in Ludington, Michigan, a daughter of Thomas and Florence (Hill) Connor, the former of whom was for many years identified with sawmills. Both parents are deceased, the mother dying in 1897 and the father in 1900. They have five children, of which number Mrs. Pike is the youngest. To Mr. and Mrs. Pike have been born five children, namely: Frank, born February 26, 1915; Kenneth, born July 26, 1917; Roland, born July 10, 1920; Edith, born November 2, 1922; and Teddy, born November 2, 1924. Mr. Pike is a member of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association, while fraternally he is a member of Nooksack Camp, Modern Woodmen of America. He take a good citizen's interest in the public affairs of his locality and is serving as a school director. He is recognized as a splendid citizen, being one of his locality's leading men of affairs progressive in all that the term implies, and is a man of lofty character and sturdy integrity. He has been a consistent advocate of wholesome living and is outspoken in his opposition to everything detrimental to the welfare of his community. Because of his business ability, fine personality and friendly manner, he has won a high place in the esteem and confidence of the entire community in which he lives.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 323-324.

JAMES A. PORTER

Among the pioneers of the Custer neighborhood there are few who have a better or wider acquaintance than has James A. Porter, one of the homesteaders of Custer township and the proprietor of a fine place of two hundred and twenty-five acres one mile from Custer, on which he has made his home for many years. Mr. Porter has been a resident of this county for more than forty years and is thus thoroughly familiar with local conditions, having observed and participated in the development of this region. He is a native of the old Bay state and a member of one of its colonial families, being a representative in the eighth generation of Porters who have resided in Massachusetts. He was born in Hampshire county, that state, January 30, 1859, and is a son of Edward Cobb and L. Abigail (Cleveland) Porter, both of whom also were born in Massachusetts and the latter of whom died in New York in 1879. The late Edward Cobb Porter, who died at his home in this county in June, 1899, was for years engaged in farming in Massachusetts and also carried on a mercantile business there. In 1885, two years after his son James located here, he closed out his interests in the east and came to Whatcom county, homesteaded a tract of land in section 11 of Custer township and here spent his last days. He was an early member of the the board of commissioners in and for the county of Whatcom.

Reared in Massachusetts, James A. Porter was educated in the schools of Worthington and Williamsburg and was for a while located in New York. After he attained his majority he became attracted to the possibilities for young men in the west and went to Colorado, reaching Buena Vista by rail. From that point he proceeded by ox team and horseback to the point then occupied by the crew engaged in the survey of the proposed Denver & Rio Grande railroad into Utah and was for a while employed in that survey, then being carried on between Salt Lake City and Ogden. He later was for some time engaged in engineering operations, setting up sawmills in the timber lands there, and then went into the Wood River country in Idaho, from which he subsequently came out to the coast country, arriving at Portland in the fall of 1882, he then being twenty-three years of age. From there he proceeded to Tacoma and in the spring of 1883 came to Whatcom county and preempted a quarter of a section of land in section 11 of Custer township. Entry had been made of the other quarters of this section and the four entrymen pooled their issues in such fashion as to begin their clearing in the center, thus forming a certain community of interest of a most agreeable sort and creating a common nucleus for the development of that particular square. Mr. Porter came in by the Sehome landing and made his way by horseback over the old trail to the lands on which he had decided to settle in what was then a wilderness, for at that time but little permanent development work had been done and his tract was an untouched piece of timber land, with wild game still abounding in the woods. The last elk shot in that district had been taken by hunters just prior to his arrival, but there still were numbers of bears, deer, wild cats and the like and there was no lack of good hunting for some time thereafter. In the fall of 1888 Mr. Porter married and established his home on that place. Prior to that time and after the arrival of his father here he had resided with his father on the latter's homestead. He cleared the greater part of his quarter section, improved it and then disposed of it to advantage. Beginning in 1898 he bought other lands and now has, as noted above, a fine farm of two hundred and twenty-five acres, where he has resided since 1900. One hundred acres are under cultivation, the remainder being devoted to dairy uses. Mr. Porter has a fine herd of fifty or more dairy cattle, with a registered Jersey herd leader, and is constantly grading this herd to a higher standard. He is a member of the Whatcom County Dairy Association, and his activities are conducted in accordance with approved methods.

It was on September 12, 1888, in Custer township, that Mr. Porter was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Jones, who three years prior to that date had come here from New York with her mother. They have six children, namely: E. C. Porter, now living at Custer, who married Merle Norman and has five children; Josephine, who married W. L. Hawkins and is living in Bellingham; Byron H. Porter, who is associated with his father in the latter's agricultural operations; Dixie B. Porter, who also remains at home and is a teacher at Custer; James A. Porter, Jr., who is now living in Pullman, attending college; and Philip R. Porter, who is at home, associated with his father in the latter's farm and dairy operations. Mrs. Margaret Porter was born in Wyoming county, New York, and is a daughter of James A. and Clarice (Hale) Jones, the latter of whom died January 16, 1926. Mrs. Porter's father died when she was but a small child and her mother later married C. H. Bannister [Bannester] and in April, 1885, became a resident of Whatcom county, where she resided until her death, having been one of the oldest resident of the county. Mr. Porter is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and of the Modern Woodmen. He is independent in politics and from the beginning of his residence here has been an active and influential figure in local civic affairs. He was a member of the board of township supervisors and helped to organize the township and from time to time has otherwise served the public in one or another local capacity.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 145-146.

REV. HENRY L. RICHARDSON

Rev. Henry L. Richardson has by his indomitable enterprise, progressive methods and forceful individuality contributed in a very definite way to the advancement of his community during the course of an honorable career and has gained an enviable standing among his fellow citizens. He was born at Glen Cove, Long Island, New York, on the 20th of November, 1873, and is a son of Henry and Martha A. (Lowther) Richardson, the latter of whom was born at Whittlesea, Cambridge, England, and died June 1, 1922. The father was born at Castle-on-Tyne, England, and was reared and educated in that locality. In 1872 he came to the United States, locating on Long Island, where he lived until 1884, when he came to Whatcom county, locating at Bellingham, where he followed his trade, that of contractor and builder. He was a fine carpenter, thoroughly understood construction work, and erected many of the best buildings in the early history of Bellingham, among which were the Old Colony mill, and the old Episcopal and Baptist churches. In 1885 he preempted one hundred and sixty acres of land at Alki, but had a hard time getting to his land. The Guide Meridian trail was so badly filled up that he could not follow it and he has compelled to go around by the old Telegraph trail as far as possible and then pack in his stuff from there. Being unable to find water on the Alki place, in 1887 he located on his present seventy acres, on which are three springs. When he took possession there was a small log cabin on the place and about three acres of the land had been cleared, the remainder being covered with large first growth fir trees. At that time the cost per acre of clearing the land was fifteen dollars to slash, one hundred dollars to log and one hundred dollars to take out the stumps. Mr. Richardson brought some stock to his place in 1887, being compelled to go to Lynden and then come back by the way of the old Strache road. He has lived on the place continuously since taking possession of it and now has the seventy acres all cleared and in a fine, productive condition. In the early days all trading was done at Bellingham and while living at Alki it was necessary to pack in with horses. Mr. Richardson and two sons, including Henry L., built three-quarters of a mile of road to the present place, the Guide Meridian road being opened up in 1889. At that time wild game was abundant, deer, bear, cougar, rabbits, pheasant and grouse being common. Mr. Richardson took a prominent and influential part in the early activities of this section of the county. For many years he was a prominent member of the First Methodist Episcopal church at Bellingham, serving as pastor, while Mrs. Richardson played the organ, and Henry was janitor and sang in the choir. He was particularly interested in educational affairs and served six years as a school director of the Laurel district. Later he and Henry cleared the land on which the consolidated school was built. He was a stockholder in the old Laurel Co-operative Creamery. Though well advanced in years, he is still interested in the general progress of the community and is numbered among the grand old men of the locality honored by his citizenship.

Henry L. Richardson attended the public schools of Long Island and after coming to Whatcom county continued his studies at the Anatole school, four and a half miles from his home, which distance he was compelled to walk. He then entered the high school at Bellingham, his credits permitting him to enter at the middle of the sophomore year. During his high school course he remained in Bellingham through the week, returning home at the week end. Later he attended the University of Washington, at Seattle, where he took the course in pharmacy, in which he was graduated in 1896 with the Ph. D. degree, and continued his studies there in 1899, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Arts. He was taking work leading to the Master's degree, and at the same time was teaching in the South Park school, but resigned and went to the Ithaca Conservatory of Music, at Ithaca, new York, where he was graduated in 1902. He then started on a postgraduate course, but because of a typhoid fever epidemic which broke out he returned home in 1903. He opened a studio in the First National Bank building at Bellingham, where he taught voice, and at the same time became director of the choirs at the First Methodist Episcopal and the First Presbyterian churches. He returned to the home ranch in 1905, remaining there two years, during which time he taught in the school near by. In 1907 Mr. Richardson joined the conference of the Methodist Episcopal church and was appointed to the pastorate of the church at Nooksack. This was a circuit, including also the church at Acme. Later he was appointed to Indian mission work, in which he spent two years. In 1911 he was sent to the Simpson Avenue church in Hoquiam, where he served from September to the following May, when he went east and spent the summer visiting his father's relatives. On his return he was appointed pastor of the church at Laurel and Weiser Lake, where he remained a year, and was then two years at Startup, Snohomish county. His next appointment was to Sultan, and during that period he taught science and music and directed athletics in the Munroe high school. The next year he was pastor of the church at Gold Bar and also did school work for two years. In 1920, because of his father's advancing years, he resigned his ministerial work and returned to the home farm, where he has since lived. He has filled the pulpit at Acme three years, since which time he has been the pastor of the Federated church at Sumas. He is a cultured and well educated man, an eloquent and forceful speaker, and possesses a personality that has made its impress on all with whom he has come in contact, his pastorates being marked by increased interest in church activities on the part of the congregations and a growth in memberships. Mr. Richardson is now giving his attention mainly to dairy farming, in which he is meeting with marked success. He keeps about twenty milk cows, some of which are registered stock, and also has a nice flock of laying hens and some good hogs. The ranch is well improved in every respect and has a good bearing orchard. Mr. Richardson is a thoroughly practical man, does well whatever he undertakes and has gained a good reputation as a farmer, as well as preacher.

On October 4, 1904, Mr. Richardson was married to Miss Lucy E. Green, who was born at Brookfield, Connecticut, a daughter of Professor Herbert W. and Mary (Smith) Green, the latter of whom, also a native of Brookfield, died in 1897. Professor Green, for many years very prominent and well known as a vocal instructor at Carnegie Hall, New York, died in September, 1924. To Mr. and Mrs. Richardson were born six children, namely: Mary J., who is teaching at Van Zandt; Mildred, who is teaching at Twisp; Grace; Myrom (sic); Herbert and George, twins.

Mr. Richardson is a member of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association and the Whatcom County Poultry Association. He has taken an active interest in local public affairs, having served as township clerk three years and as assessor two years. He has earnestly cooperated with his fellow citizens in the support of all measures calculated to advance the progress of the community or better the general welfare in any way. Genial and friendly, kindly and courteous, he has a wife acquaintance throughout this section of the county and enjoys an enviable standing in the confidence and esteem of all who know him.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 600-605.

SOLOMON ROUFF

Solomon Rouff, who spent the last seventeen years of his life in honorable retirement at Bellingham, was born in Germany in 1835 and had attained the age of four score years when he passed away on the 30th of June, 1915. He immigrated to this country as a youth of seventeen and for a number of years resided in the state of New York. At the time of the Civil war he enlisted in a New York regiment. He was promoted to corporal, and he was twice wounded during his three years of service in the Union army. Following the cessation of hostilities he removed westward to Missouri, where he devoted his attention to general agricultural pursuits for a time. While residing in that state he filled the office of justice of the peace. From Missouri he made his way to Wyoming, where for a number of years he was engaged in the sheep business, with marked success. It was in 1898 that Mr. Rouff came to Whatcom county, Washington, and he erected a substantial and attractive home at Bellingham, where he spent the remainder of his life in well earned ease.

On the 7th of May, 1901, Mr. Rouff was united in marriage to Miss Jessie Ferguson, a native of Scotland, who was brought to the new world when a maiden of eleven summers and lived for a time with her father in Ontario, Canada. In the year 1892 she came to Bellingham, Washington, to join her brother, Hugh Ferguson, who had taken up his abode here in the '80s. About 1913 the latter moved to Alberta, Canada, where he owns a farm comprising more than four hundred acres, and he still has property holdings at Bellingham. By a previous union Solomon Rouff had one son, Willis Rouff, of Portland, who is married and is the father of two children: Nydia, now Mrs. J. H. Augustine, of Blackfoot, Idaho; and Zeney of Portland.

In his political views Mr. Rouff was a stanch republican, while his religious faith was indicated by his membership in the United Presbyterian church of Bellingham, to which his widow also belongs. The latter maintains an independent attitude in politics, supporting men and measures rather than party. Mr. Rouff held membership in the Grand Army of the Republic, thus maintaining pleasant relations with his old military comrades, and his widow belongs to the Women's Relief Corps and is also a charter member of the Women's Christian Temperance Union at Eureka. His loss was deeply regretted by an extensive circle of friends in Bellingham and vicinity and his memory is cherished in the hearts of his loved ones.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 135.

JOHN M. SAAR

Among the citizens of Whatcom county who by their earnest lives and splendid characters have earned the respect and esteem of all who know them is John M. Saar, who enjoys a high reputation as a successful miner and a public-spirited man whose support has always been given to the things that have contributed to the general welfare of the community. Mr. Saar was born at Roseburg, Oregon, on the 31st of July, 1859, and is a son of Peter and Margaret (Olmsted) Saar, the former of whom was born in Germany and the latter in Quincy, Illinois. Peter Saar was reared and educated in his native land and in 1852 emigrated to the United States, coming direct to Oregon and settling in Douglas county, where he took up a donation claim and was numbered among the pioneers of that locality. He and his wife owned a quarter section of land, and they remained residents of that place until 1865, when they came to King county, Washington, of which locality also they were pioneers. Here Mr. Saar engaged in farming and remained until 1883, when he came to the Nooksack valley and took up a one hundred and sixty acre preemption claim in section 12, near Sumas. He proved up on that claim, created a good farm and lived there until his death, which occurred in 1912. He had long survived his wife, who passed away in 1873. Of the eight children who blessed their union, six are now living, namely: John M., the immediate subject of this sketch; Mrs. Laura Clark, who lives at Granite, Idaho; George H., who lives at Latham, Alberta, Canada; Mrs. Carrie A. Berg, of Nooksack; Fred P., of Salem, Oregon; and Mrs. Maggie Sleasman, of Powell Butte, Oregon.

John M. Saar received a good education, attending the public schools at White River, Oregon, and spending two years at the Washington State University at Seattle [University of Washington]. In 1883 he came to Whatcom county and took up a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres adjoining his father's ranch, and at once set himself to the task of clearing the land, which was heavily timbered. He succeeded in clearing off part of this tract, proved up on it and soon afterward sold it. He has always been deeply interested in mining and for many years has followed that occupation, being at the present time engaged in mining at Glacier, Whatcom county, during the summer seasons, while during the winter months he makes his home with Mr. Smith, at the "Milky Way" farm, near Sumas. He has been fairly successful as a miner and is in a position where he does not need to worry about financial affairs. He and Mr. Smith are two congenial "old timers," who together enjoy life as only kindred spirits can. Mr. Saar is a man of splendid character, keeps in touch with the events of the day, and maintains decided opinions on the issues of the times. He is a kindly and genial man, whom all respect and esteem. He has been a witness of and a participant in the wonderful transformation which has taken place in Whatcom county in the past forty years and is rightfully numbered among the old pioneers who laid the foundation for the splendid prosperity which now characterizes this favored region.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 523-524.

JAMES P. SMITH

James P. Smith, whose activities as a farmer, contractor and mill owner constituted an important factor in the material upbuilding of Bellingham and Whatcom county, passed away on the 7th of March, 1922, when fifty-eight years of age. He was born in Denmark in 1864, was taken by his parents to Germany when he was four years old and attended school in the latter country. When a lad of eleven years he returned to Denmark, and there remained until he attained the age of eighteen, when he immigrated to the United States in company with his sister, a maiden of eleven summers. He was a fluent speaker of several languages, including German, Danish, Norwegian, English, Swedish and Holland Dutch. In the early '90s he made his way to Seattle, Washington. He took up one hundred and sixty acres of uncleared land in Whatcom county, near Wall and proved up on the homestead when he was about twenty-seven years of age. By trade Mr. Smith was a stone mason. He helped build the court house and city hall in Bellingham and subsequently turned his attention to street contracting, paving Garden street, Eldridge avenue, Walnut street and other thoroughfares. He assisted in the construction of the State Normal School at Bellingham and was awarded the contract for the stone work on the Catholic Hospital. Thereafter he made his home on a ranch for two years, or until about 1902, when he returned to Bellingham and here continued in stone work. He next began the operation a shingle mill on Hutchison creek, above Acme, and was thus engaged for four years, after which he purchased another farm comprising about eighty acres and situated about two miles north of Ferndale. He was engaged in dairying thereon for six years, after which he leased the property for a time. Upon disposing thereof he again entered the milling business, conducting a mill at Mosquito lake for three years, on the expiration of which period he bought a home in Bellingham and installed his family therein. Selling the mill at Mosquito lake, he purchased another mill at Grandy Lake, five miles above Concrete, to the operation of which he devoted his attention throughout the remainder of his life.

In 1892 Mr. Smith was united in marriage to Miss Maude Aikens, a native of Indiana and a daughter of Alexander and Catherine Aikens, who also were born in the Hoosier state and were of Irish and English extraction, respectively. The family was early established on American soil. The father of Mrs. Maude (Aikens) Smith was an agriculturist by occupation. It was in 1886 that she accompanied her mother, a sister and a brother to Bellingham, Washington, where she pursued her education. During her last year of school she was a pupil in the Sehome school house, which had just been built. Two sisters and a brother of Mrs. Smith had also removed to Whatcom county at the same time that she came here. She was married at Bellingham and became the mother of nine children, as follows; Elmer James, who is at the Grandy Lake mill; Ralph William, a resident of Vancouver, British Columbia; Richard B., who is in Alaska; Ernest A., a student in the Bellingham high school; Bernard E., who is at the Grandy Lake mill; Paul Henry, who is attending school; Mrs. Dorothy Hofstad, who lives in Alaska, and is the mother of two children; and Wallace, a resident of Tacoma, Washington.

Mr. Smith gave his political allegiance to the republican party, to the principles of which his widow also adheres. He was chairman of the school board of Ferndale and was overseer of the building of the Ferndale high school. He belonged to the Danish Brotherhood, being a charter member of the local organizations at Seattle and Bellingham. Mr. Smith was secretary and treasurer and a director of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association, having been one of the originators and organizers. He was also instrumental in promoting and building the condensery at Ferndale, and he assisted in building the first dry dock at Bremerton. He never regretted his determination to seek a home in America, for here he found the opportunities which he sought and through their wise utilization won both prosperity and an honored name. His widow, who came to Whatcom county four decades ago, enjoys an extensive and favorable acquaintance in Bellingham, where she makes her home at No. 2523 Ellis street.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 125-126.

LUKE TYRRELL

Mr. Tyrrell was born in the state of Nebraska in 1874 and is a son of Alfred and Ermina (Lloyd) Tyrrell. His father, who was a native of Kansas, is now living in Idaho, while his mother, who was born in Iowa, is deceased. Ofthe seven children born to these parents, three are now living: Luke, George and Mrs. Ella Pennington.

Luke Tyrrell was educated in the public schools of his state and of Sumas, Whatcom county. He came to Washington in the fall of 1892 with his maternal grandfather, Dr. William Lloyd, who opened an office in Sumas in that year, being the first male physician at that place. A woman doctor had practiced there a year or two previously. Our subject lived with his grandfather until the age of twenty-two and then, in 1896, entered upon the clearing of a tract of fifteen acres which he had purchased in 1803. It was located two and a half miles south of Sumas and was densely covered with timber and brush. He cleared off part of it and sold the land in 1903. That same year he bought seventeen acres of partly cleared land, one mile west of Sumas, to the cultivation of which he applied himself with vigor and success, so that in 1906 he was able to buy forty acres of good land adjoining. The tract is now practically all cleared and in a fine state of cultivation. He also owns twenty acres of woodland near by and a wheat ranch in eastern Washington. He owns a piece of fine property in Sumas, and for a period of eight years he operated a meat market in that town. His main farm crops are hay, grain and peas, and he keeps twelve good grade milk cows and two pure bred Jerseys, as well as a registered sire. The farm is well improved and is today one of the valuable homesteads of the Sumas valley.

On April 14, 1901, Mr. Tyrrell was married to Miss Minnie Marsh, who was born in South Dakota, a daughter of Sewell and Lucinda (Bailey) Marsh, the former of whom died March 5, 1916. Mr. and Mrs. Marsh were the parents of six children, four of whom are living, namely: Mrs. Myrtle Gillies, Minnie, Wayne and Mrs. Nellie Ryan. Mr. Marsh came to Sumas, Whatcom county, in 1891, acquiring a ranch near Sumas, to the cultivation of which he devoted himself until his death. To Mr. and Mrs. Tyrrell have been born six children as follows: Hubert, deceased; Ernest L, born May 16, 1905; Lettie, born May 26, 1907, who is a graduate of the Sumas high school; Lillie, born June 4, 1909; Martha, born August 28, 1913; and Ella, born March 15, 1923. Mr. Tyrrell is a member of Bellingham Lodge, Brotherhood of American Yeomen. He is very fond of hunting and likes nothing better than to take his trusty rifle and go after big game, in which effort he is usually successful. He has a very comfortable and attractive home, located on a paved highway, keeps his place is the best of shape and is looked upon by his fellow farmers as a man of good judgment and business ability.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 642-643.

JAMES UNICK

James Unick, one of the well established farmers and landowners of Mountain View township has been a resident there for more than twenty-five years. He was born in Iowa City, Johnson county, Iowa, January 23, 1867, and is a son of James and Josephine Unick, natives of Germany, who were married in their home land and became pioneers in Johnson county, Iowa. James Unick died in Iowa City in 1877 and his widow survived him for many years, her death occurring in Nebraska in 1908.

His son, James Unick, was but ten years of age when the father died. When he was twelve years of age, in 1879, he went with his mother to Lincoln, Nebraska, and she entered a claim to a quarter section homestead tract in Buffalo county, Nebraska, and settled there. It was thus that James Unick grew up on a homestead farm and took an active part in the development of that place. He married when twenty years of age and continued to make his home on the farm in Buffalo county, Nebraska, until 1900, when he came to Whatcom county and settled on the place on which he is now living, buying a tract of sixty acres of timberland. This now is practically all cleared and cultivated and excellent improvements have been made. While clearing he also did a good business hauling shingle bolts to the mills. Of late years he has been giving his attention chiefly to dairying and has developed a good business along that line, owner of a fine herd of dairy cattle. He is an independent milk producer.

On March 13, 1887, in Nebraska, Mr. Unick was united in marriage to Miss Louisa Langer, who was born in Germany and they have eleven children, Lillie, Oliver, Jesse, Ellsworth, Lee, Louis, Clifford, Essie, Silva, Stanley and Allen. The last four named were born in this county and are still living on the home place. Lillie married Ralph Townsend of Mountain View and has six children. Oliver, now living in Bellingham, is married and has two children. Jesse, a Mountain View farmer, is married and has three children. Ellsworth, also of Mountain View, is married and has three children. Lee, also living in Mountain View, is married and has three children. Louis, also of Mountain View, is married. Clifford is farming in Mountain View. As will be noted in the above enumeration, Mr. and Mrs. Unick have seventeen grandchildren, in all of whom they take much pride and delight.

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

OREN HENRY WATSON

For more than a quarter of a century O. H. Watson has been numbered among the leading agriculturists of Deming township, and although he has reached the venerable age of seventy-seven years he is still an active factor in the world's work, for indolence and idleness are utterly foreign to his nature. A native of Vermont, he was born in 1849 and was but a year old when his parents, Charles and Martha (Prindle) Watson, migrated to Wisconsin. Early in the '60s they again established their home in the Green Mountain state and later again journeyed to Wisconsin. Subsequently they went to Pennsylvania but eventually returned to Vermont, where they both passed away.

O. H. Watson received a public school education and his boyhood was spent on a farm. On starting out in life for himself he became a steam engineer and was employed in mills and on railroads. He arrived in Seattle, Washington, early in the '90s and in 1900 came to Deming. He purchased a tract of forty-six acres in the vicinity of the town and has since resided on the place, on which he has made many improvements. His standards of farming are high and everything about the ranch indicates that he follows progressive methods.

On May 1, 1871, Mr. Watson married Miss Aileen Imogene Landy, a native of Wisconsin, and five children were born to them. John, the eldest, is engaged in farming near the homestead and has a wife and three children. Eugene is also operating a ranch in this locality and has a wife and child. Ella is the wife of Frank Griffin, of Bellingham, and the mother of seven children. Fred is living in Deming and has a wife and two daughters. Ivy became the wife of R. L. Dale, of Deming, and they have one child, a daughter. Mr. Watson has fourteen grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, in whom he takes a deep interest, finding much pleasure in their society. He is an adherent of the republican party but has never entered the arena of public affairs, preferring to discharge the duties of citizenship in a private capacity. His life has been long, active and useful and his many good qualities have enabled him to win and retain the esteem of all with whom he has been associated.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 655.

EMMETT WHELAN

Emmett Whelan is an enterprising young agriculturist of Lawrence township and represents one of its honored pioneer families. He was born in Whatcom county, March 7, 1899, and his parents, Merritt and Mary (Moriarty) Whelan, were both natives of Ireland. Merritt Whelan came to Whatcom county in 1879 and entered a homestead in Lawrence township, which was then a wilderness. He was one of the earliest settlers in this section, to which Miss Moriarty came in 1884, and here they were married. They experienced the various phases of pioneer life, and as the years passed the father brought the wild land under cultivation, his well tilled fields and substantial buildings bearing evidence of the good management and prosperity of their owner. He remained on the place until his demise in 1916. He was also active in politics, working for the success of the republican party. To Mr. and Mrs. Whelan were born three sons: James, who is living in Edison, Washington; Joseph and Emmett, who are operating the homestead. Under the able direction of their father they received thorough training in farm work and have been very successful in conducting the ranch, possessing a true sense of agricultural economics. They have a well equipped dairy and  also raise poultry. They are members of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association and also of the Poultrymen's Association.

Emmett Whelan received a high school education, and in 1917 he enlisted in the Coast Artillery. He remained on active duty until the close of the World war, and with his brother served in the United States navy. The subject of this sketch is nonpartisan in politics, voting according to the dictates of his judgment, and his support can always be counted on to further every measure for the general good. He is one of Whatcom county's most loyal sons and a young man of genuine worth, esteemed by a large and ever widening circle of friends.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 579.

HERMAN WUSCHER

Herman Wuscher was born in the little mountain republic of Switzerland in 1843 and was reared and educated there. In 1875 he emigrated to the United States, locating in Illinois, where he remained for about five years. In 1880 he came to Whatcom county, Washington, and took up a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres in Lawrence township. The land was at that time densely covered with heavy timber and brush, the removal of which required a prodigious amount of hard work, but, with a vision of the future, he bravely set himself to the task of creating a homestead out of the wilderness. He built a small log house and in the course of time had a fine tract of land under cultivation and found himself in prosperous circumstances, having over sixty acres cleared at the time of his death, which occurred in August, 1921. He was a man of sturdy qualities of character, quiet  and unassuming in manner but self-reliant and independent, and through the years of his residence here he steadily grew in the esteem of all who knew him. To him and his wife were born five children, namely: Mrs. Maud Palmer, deceased; Mrs. Grace Bayes; Everett, who lives on twenty acres of the old home farm; Jack, who lives at Hamilton, Washington; and Jennie, who lives in Seattle, Washington.

Grace Wuscher was married in 1906 to Loren C. Bayes, who is a native of Michigan and a son of Sylvester and Anna Bayes, both of whom are deceased. Loren Bayes came to Washington in 1890 with his parents, who located in Whatcom county, where the father followed his trade, that of blacksmith, up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1916. His wife passed away in 1909. They were the parents of six children, namely: Joseph, deceased, Nettie, Loren C., Pearl, John and Cecil. Mr. and Mrs. Bayes own forty acres of the old Wuscher homestead and also lease twenty acres from Mrs. Bayes' sister, and on this land Mr. Bayes has successfully farmed, raising the crops common to this locality, hay and grain being his principal crops. He also keeps six good milk cows. He is a blacksmith by trade, which vocation he follows at Glacier, Whatcom county, Mrs. Bayes directing the operations of the farm. They are the parents of five children, namely: Clayton, born October 2, 1907; Lois born April 6, 1909; Beulah, born August 2, 1912; Celia, born March 20, 1914; and Herschel, born August 17, 1918. All of the children were born in Washington excepting Herschel, who was born in Fullerton, California.

Mr. Bayes is a member of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association and takes an active interest in everything affecting the welfare and prosperity of the community. Fraternally he is a member of Nooksack Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, of which he is a past master; Nooksack Camp, Modern Woodmen of America, and Nooksack Lodge, Brotherhood of American Yeomen. He is a man of splendid personal qualities, steady, industrious and dependable, and has long enjoyed an enviable standing in the confidence and good will of the community in which he lives. Mrs. Bayes has ably seconded him in all of his affairs, possessing sound judgment in practical matters. She is deeply interested in the civic affairs of the community and is a popular member of the circles in which she moves.

History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 308-09.

Back to Biography Index

Back to Whatcom GenWeb Home Page