THOMAS ANDERSON
The beginning of the career of Thomas Anderson was characterized by hard work and earnest endeavor, and he owes the success which he has attained solely to his own unaided efforts, his career presenting a notable example of those qualities of mind and character which overcome obstacles and are the stronger for the test. His record since becoming a citizen of Whatcom county is one of which he may justifiably be proud, and he is numbered among the enterprising and well liked citizens of his locality. Mr. Anderson is a native of Norway, born on the 13th of September, 1878, and he is a son of Anders and Annie Marie Anderson, both of whom were lifelong resident of Norway, where the father followed the occupation of a sailor. Of the seven children born to this worthy couple, two are living: Jergen O., whose sketch appears on other pages of this work; and Thomas.
Thomas Anderson attended the schools of his native land until he was fourteen years of age, when he became a sailor on the high seas, following that vocation for about three years. In 1894 he came to the United States, locating in Whatcom county that same year and obtaining work in coal mines. After following that line of work for about seven years, he bought seventy acres of land three miles southeast of Sumas and immediately entered upon the tremendous task of clearing the tract of the timber and brush which encumbered it. In this he has done well, now having fifty acres cleared and in cultivation, and on this he raises splendid crops of hay, grain and sugar beets. A large part of the land is tile drained and is as fertile and productive a tract as can be found in this locality. He has erected a good set of farm buildings and made other improvements which render it one of the most desirable farms in this section of the valley. He gives considerable attention to dairying, keeping fifteen good grade cows and some young stock, as well as four young draft horses. Mr. Anderson is an up-to-date and practical farmer, doing thoroughly and well whatever he undertakes, and has gained an enviable reputation.
In 1905 Mr. Anderson was married to Miss Emma Halversen, who was born in North Dakota and who a few years prior to her marriage came to Washington, locating in Seattle. To this union have been born three children, namely: Arthur P., born September 12, 1907, who is now managing his father's ranch; Gladys M., born June 9, 1909, now a student in the high school at Tacoma; and Eunice T., born September 19, 1915, now in grammar school. Arthur is a young man of steady and industrious habits, thoroughly understands agriculture and has managed the ranch in a businesslike and judicious manner.
Thomas Anderson has led a life of honor and true worth, being the possessor of those sterling qualities of character which commend a man to the good opinion of his fellows, and throughout this community he has long enjoyed the fullest measure of popular confidence and esteem among those who have come in contact with him. He has at all times stood for those things which tend to advance the general welfare, and his reputation with his neighbors have ever been mutually pleasant and agreeable.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 176.
WALTER S. BAILEY
In the history of Whatcom county as applying to the agricultural interests, the name of W. S. Bailey, of Ferndale township, occupies a conspicuous place, for through a number of years he has stood as one of the representative men of affairs - progressive, enterprising and persevering. Such qualities always spell success and to Mr. Bailey they have brought a satisfactory reward for his well directed efforts and he is now able to take life more leisurely, enjoying that respite from labor which he has well earned through his former years of untiring effort.
Mr. Bailey is a native of Quebec, Canada, born on the 29th of November, 1859. His parents, William and Betsy (Beedy) Bailey, were both natives of the state of Vermont, where the father was born in 1821 and the mother in 1825. Of their ten children four are now living, namely: Wellman, who lives in California; Loren, of Canada; W. S., subject of this sketch; and William, of Canada.
W. S. Bailey was reared in Quebec, where his parents had homesteaded one hundred acres of land and where they spent the remainder of their lives, the mother dying in 1865 and the father in 1914. He was educated in the public schools of that locality and remained at home until 1879, when he came to the United States, locating in Minnesota, where he was employed in logging camps for two years. In 1881 he went to Tacoma, Washington, and entered the employ of the Northern Pacific Railroad as a member of a surveying crew. He was thus employed for about four months and then went to California, where he found work in the quicksilver mines of Napa and Lake counties.
In 1891 Mr. Bailey came to Whatcom county and took up a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres on Blakely island, where he lived for two years, and then came to Bellingham, working for Wright Brothers on fish traps for one season. Removing to Ferndale, he established a shingle mill, which he operated for two years, when it was destroyed by fire. Returning to Bellingham, he bought an interest in the Nehr Ross Company's shingle mill, with which he was identified for two years, but at the end of that time he sold his interests here and went to Alaska, where he spent the season of 1898 in gold mining. He then again came to Bellingham and, in partnership with John Andall, started a shingle mill, which they operated for three years, at the end of which time Mr. Bailey sold out and went to Lynden, where he built a shingle mill on the Canadian boundary line. At the end of two years he returned to Bellingham, where he remained for three or four years, being employed as a steam engineer. In the spring of 1918 he moved to the ranch which he had bought in 1903, located three miles north of Ferndale, on the river road. Originally, the farm contained one hundred and sixty acres, but Mr. Bailey sold a part of the property and is now operating sixty acres. He keeps a few cows, raises diversified crops, has an attractive home and is very comfortably situated. He also owns a good residence property in Bellingham. Mr. Bailey has made many changes in business since coming to this part of the country, but he has exercised sound judgment in all his transactions and is now in good financial circumstances and has also gained the respect and good will of all who know him.
On April 30, 1890, Mr. Bailey was married to Miss Hannah Andall, a native of Norway and a daughter of Ole Andall, who died in that country in 1880 and was survived about three decades by his widow, whose death occurred in Washington, October 8, 1910. To Mr. and Mrs. Bailey have been born four children. Oscar, born December 10, 1891, is a veteran of the World war, having served ten months overseas with the Ninety-first Division. He received an honorable discharge June 24, 1919, and he now owns and operates a ten acre ranch adjoining his father's place, keeping fourteen hundred laying hens. Roy, born January 9, 1893 was also overseas as a member of the Ninety-first Division and is now living at Livingston, Montana. Louise died in infancy. Loren H., born April 21, 1909, is a student in the Ferndale high school.
Mr. Bailey is a member of Bellingham Camp, Woodmen of the World, and also belongs to the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association. Quiet and unostentatious in manner, never-the-less Mr. Bailey possesses a forceful personality, standing at all times for the best things in community life and throwing his influence in favor of all measures for the advancement of the public welfare. His kindly and generous disposition and his genial and warm-hearted manner have won for him a high place in the hearts and affections of his neighbors and friends.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 760-763.
CLIFFORD H. BARLOW
Clifford H. Barlow has achieved noteworthy success as a dealer in leather and represents a family whose members have been leaders of business enterprise in Bellingham for a period of thirty-seven years. A son of Frank J. and Marie (Hitz) Barlow, he was born in 1874 and is a native of Illinois. His father was a well known harness manufacturer of that state and in 1889 came to the Pacific coast. He opened a harness shop in Bellingham and continued the business until motor vehicles came into general use. He then became a dealer in automobiles and was successful in the undertaking, continuing in that field of activity until his retirement in 1919. He still resides in Bellingham, but the mother passed away in 1923.
Clifford H. Barlow attended the public schools of Illinois and completed his education in the Bellingham high school, being fifteen years of age when the family home was established in this city. He learned the trade of a harness maker under his father, whom he assisted in conducting the business, and later started out for himself, opening a leather goods store. He handles all kinds of traveling goods, etc., and transacts a wholesale business in shoe findings. He employs traveling salesmen whose trade extends as far west as Seattle. His establishment is situated at No. 211 West Holly street and the line of leather goods which he carries ranks with the best in the state. His knowledge of the business is comprehensive and exact and the rapid increase in his trade is the result of judicious management and honorable dealing.
In 1900 Mr. Barlow was united in marriage to Miss Carrie A. Jarvis, of Bellingham, and theirs is one of the attractive and hospitable homes of the city. Mr. Barlow is a thirty-second degree Mason and Shriner and is also identified with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and the Independent Order of Add Fellows. In political matters he follows the dictates of his judgment and his support of a candidate is an indication of his firm belief in his qualifications for public service. Mr. Barlow belongs to the Bellingham Rotary and Country Clubs, and the Chamber of Commerce also numbers him among it valued members. His life has been actuated by the spirit of progress and crowned with success. In the upbuilding of his business he has aided in expanding the trade relations of his city and his worth to the community is uniformly conceded.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 232-233.
CHARLES O. BORGESON
Charles O. Borgeson, well known as a former hotel keeper and merchant of Bellingham, now living retired, has been here for more than thirty-five years and is thus thoroughly familiar with conditions in Whatcom county and with the various steps in the progress of this community since what may be regarded as the pioneer period here, for when he came to the Bay settlements little had been done in the way of "modern" development. Mr. Borgeson is a native of Sweden, born in 1857, and was five years of age when in 1862 his parents came with their family to this country and settled at St. Peter, Minnesota, on the Minnesota river. Two of his father's brothers, who previously had become settlers in Minnesota, served as Union soldiers during the Civil war.
Reared at St. Peter, Charles O. Borgeson remained at home until fifteen years of age, when he began to "do for himself," and presently became employed as coachman for one of the wealthy residents of that ambitious little city. It may be recalled that St. Peter came very near being selected as the site of the capital of the proud state of Minnesota and it never has fully awakened from its olden dream of grandeur. In 1886, when twenty-nine years of age, Mr. Borgeson came to the coast and in association with a brother engaged in the hotel business in Spokane, operating the old Northwestern Hotel there. Eighteen months later he sold his interest in that hotel and moved to Seattle, where he remained for two or three years or until after his marriage in the spring of 1890, when he came to the Bay settlements and opened a hotel on Holly street in Whatcom. For eighteen years Mr. Borgeson conducted the hotel and then, changing conditions having decreased the profits of the business, he abandoned the hotel and engaged in the cigar business until his retirement.
It was on May 1, 1890, in the city of Seattle, that Mr. Borgeson was united in marriage to Miss Jennie Foss and they have one child, Clarissa, who was graduated from the Bellingham high school and from the State Normal School here, she then took a supplementary course in a finishing school for young women in Minnesota and in 1918 married Dr. O. N. Farley of Bellingham. Dr. and Mrs. Farley have a daughter, Betty Clair. Mrs. Borgeson was born in the city of Kristiania (now Oslo), capital of the kingdom of Norway, and was but a child when she came to America with her parents, the family settling in Minnesota. There she met Mr. Borgeson and after he had become established in business at Seattle, she came to the coast and the romance of their Minnesota days culminated in their marriage at Seattle. Mr. and Mrs. Borgeson are members of the Lutheran church and are republicans. They reside at 1206 High street and are quite comfortably situated there.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 467-468.
WILLIAM I. BRISBIN
William I. Brisbin, former sheriff of Whatcom county and in his day one of the best known men in this section of the state, died at his home in Bellingham, March 11, 1912. He was born in the state of Iowa in 1867, was reared in Kansas and Nebraska and studied law in the University of Nebraska. He married when twenty-one years of age and two years later, in 1890, came to Washington and became a resident of Bellingham, where the remainder of his life was spent. Upon his arrival here he became employed as a grocery clerk and was thus engaged for some years, at the end of which time he entered public service as deputy sheriff, serving in this capacity during the incumbencies of J. J. Bell and Barney Esterbrook. Mr. Brisbin was subsequently elected sheriff of Whatcom county and during his term of two years in that office had some interesting experiences, one of which was a three months' trip to England on the trail of St. John Dix, at that time much wanted in this county.
Upon the completion of his public service Mr. Brisbin, in association with his brother-in-law, C. M. Smith, engaged in the real estate business in Bellingham, establishing the firm which later was known as Brisbin, Smith & Livesey, and continued in the realty business until his death, he then being in his forty-sixth year. Mr. Brisbin was a republican and was long looked upon as one of the leaders of that party in this county. In addition to his service in the sheriff's office he had for some time rendered public service as a member of the park board in and for the city of Bellingham. He was a member of the local lodge of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks.
It was on June 6, 1888, at Franklin, Nebraska, that Mr. Brisbin was united in marriage to Miss Ella Smith, who survives him and who has three daughters living.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 885.
ORA A. BROCK
O. Albert Brock, a successful contractor, has been intimately associated with building operations of the city for more than twenty years and enjoys an unassailable reputation for business enterprise and probity. A son of E. A. and France (Pruitt) Brock, he was born in 1879 and is a native of Dallas, Texas. His father now resides upon a ranch in Oklahoma, but the mother is deceased.
O. Albert Brock was educated in the public schools of Kansas and at the age of eighteen started out for himself. He learned the carpenter's trade, which he followed in the middle west for a number of years, and in 1905 came to Washington. He has since been engaged in contracting in Bellingham and has done much important work as a home builder, a line in which he excels. He has made a thorough study of the business, so that he is able to meet every contingency, and has erected many homes which are the principal ornaments of their respective neighborhoods. Among the finest examples of his handiwork are the H. B. Sewall, C. B. Thompson and Green residences.
In 1903 Mr. Brock was united in marriage to Miss Myrtle Gregory, of Oklahoma, and they have three children, Zila, Dana and Clela, aged respectively fifteen, ten and eight years. Mr. Brock is a democrat but not a strong partisan, standing for clean politics and for progress, reform and improvement in public affairs. He early recognized that here is no success in life without effort and with no financial assistance has gradually worked his way upward, placing his dependence upon the old-fashioned virtues of industry, honesty and perseverance. These qualities have won him a secure place in the esteem of his fellowmen, and his worth as a citizen is uniformly conceded.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 580-581.
ALLEN CAMPBELL
For thirty-six years the name of Allen Campbell has figured conspicuously in business circles of Bellingham and his real estate operations have been a direct agency in the upbuilding of the city, while at the same time he has reaped the reward of intelligently directed labor. A native of Canada, he was born November 14, 1859, and was but ten years old when his parents, Hugh and Katie Campbell, migrated to the states, settling in Iowa. The father was one of the pioneer farmers of that state, in which he spent the remainder of his life, and the mother's demise also occurred in Iowa.
Allen Campbell attended the public schools of Le Mars, Iowa, and after starting out in life for himself turned his attention to the insurance business, with which he was connected for three years in the Hawkeye state. For three years he was engaged in the same line of activity in Kansas and then came to the Pacific northwest. He embarked in the real estate side, where he has since been located. He has handled a large amount of residential property and has done much to improve and beautify the districts in which he has operated. He also deals in loans and insurance as his well known probity has been the most important factor in the upbuilding of the business. He displays excellent judgment in placing his investments and is regarded as an expert valuator, having an intimate knowledge of the worth of all realty in this locality.
In December, 1886, Mr. Campbell was married in Le Mars, Iowa, to Miss Sara McArthur, a native of Canada and a daughter of Duncan and Elexie (Kennedy) McArthur, who journeyed to Iowa in 1884. To Mr. and Mrs. Campbell were born three children. Allene B., the eldest, is the wife of Donald E. Willard, of Pasadena, California, and the mother of one child, a daughter, who is five years old. The sons, Kenneth Duncan and Elliott Hugh Campbell, are well known civil engineers.
Mr. Campbell casts his ballot for the candidates of the republican party and his public service covers six years' incumbency in the offices of justice of the peace and police judge, which he filled from 1894 until 1900, discharging his duties in a highly satisfactory manner. He is a Kiwanian, a member of the Bellingham Real Estate Association, the Chamber of Commerce and the Automobile Club of Washington and along fraternal lines is connected with the Modern Brotherhood of America and the Knights of Pythias. Mr. Campbell is one of Bellingham's most valuable citizens and a man whom to know is to admire and esteem.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 235.
HENRY F. CARLE
For more than forty-three years Henry F. Carle, one of the substantial farmers and landowners of the Ferndale neighborhood, has been a resident of Whatcom county and therefore accounted one of its early settlers, for when he came here conditions in his neighborhood were still pretty much as the pioneers found them, government land still on the market and the wild creatures of the forest still plentiful. Elsewhere in this work are presented two pictures of the village of Ferndale as Mr. Carle knew it when he came into this country, reproductions of photographs presented by him for publication this history of the country, and which by contrast and comparison tell the story of progress made here during his time far better than any verbal description could convey to the reader a realistic conception of the advancement made in conditions here during the time of men __ active in affairs in this favored region. Mr. Carle thus properly may say, "All of this I saw and part of it I was." He knew the country when it was just entering upon what may be regarded as its "modern" period of progress and he has many an interesting story to tell of pioneer conditions as he found them in the early '80s.
Henry F. Carle is a native of the Keystone state. He was born on a farm in the vicinity of Rome, Bradford county, Pennsylvania, November 11, 1864, and is a son of William and Catherine (Green) Carle, both born in that state, the former a member of one of the pioneer families there and the latter a daughter of settlers who came from England. Reared on the home farm, Mr. Carle finished his school work in the Rome Academy and in 1880, when in his sixteenth year, joined the great number of young men who about that time were turning their faces toward the west. For a year he "prospected around" as a farm hand in Kansas and was then employed by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad in Colorado. Presently he went to Yankton, South Dakota, and not long afterward became engaged in business in Wahoo in Saunders county, Nebraska, in association with his brother-in-law, Franklin Brun__. Yielding to the lure of the coast country, in 1882 he started for San Francisco and on the train en route he made the acquaintance of that stout pioneer and promoter, Captain Roeder, who pointed out to him in such glowing colors the advantages of settlement in Whatcom county that he came here. He bought a quarter section of government land just south of Custer, paying a dollar and twenty-five cents an acre, and settled down to the difficult task of clearing and developing this. Not long afterward he sold half of this tract and presently sold to advantage the remainder, after which he bought an "eighty" in the immediate vicinity of Ferndale. He partially cleared this and in 1886 sold this at a profit, after which he bought a "forty" two miles south of Ferndale, which tract he cleared and still owns. In 1902, following his marriage, Mr. Carle located on his present place on rural mail route No. 3 out of Ferndale and has since made his home there, he and his family being very pleasantly and comfortably situated. He there has a tract of about thirty-eight acres, which he cleared and which is now well improved and under excellent cultivation.
It was on October 22, 1902, at North Bellingham, that Mr. Carle was united in marriage to Miss Elgie Furman and they have six children: Loiletta, Leona, Henry, Cleora, Lida and William. Loiletta is now engaged in teaching in the schools of Port Blakely, Leona is a senior and Henry a junior in the high school. Mrs. Carle was born in Minnesota and is a daughter of Jeddiah Furman. She has been a resident of the coast country since 1902. Mr. Carle has ever given thoughtful attention to the general civic affairs of his community and for some time rendered public service as supervisor of roads in the Slater district.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 826-827.
CLARENCE DEAL
Clarence Deal is classed with the enterprising dairymen of Deming township and has also found time for public affairs, exerting his efforts as readily for the general welfare as for his own aggrandizement. He was born in 1879 in Iowa, and his parents, T. N. and Samantha L. (Everson) Deal, are also natives of that state. They came to Washington in 1900, settling in Adams county, and there the father was engaged in farming until 1915. He then located in Whatcom county, purchasing a tract of one hundred and sixty acres in Deming township, and successfully operated the place for several years, but is now living retired.
The public schools of Iowa afforded Clarence Deal his educational advantages, and during vacation periods he worked in the fields, acquiring useful habits of industry and thrift. When a young man of twenty-one he came with his family to the Pacific coast and assisted his father in the task of cultivating the rich soil of this region. Since the latter's retirement the subject of this sketch has operated the home ranch and is now specializing in poultry raising and dairying. He has devoted much study to these branches of agriculture, on which he is well informed, and his work is conducted along scientific lines, which produce the best results.
On February 28, 1900, Mr. Deal married Miss Estella Belle Crall, of Ohio, and five children were born to them, namely: Verl now Mrs. Edward Frank, of Acme, Washington, and the mother of two sons; and Gerald, Roger, Madeline and John, all of whom are at home. In politics Mr. Deal preserves an independent attitude, voting according to the dictates of his judgment, and his public spirit has been demonstrated by word and deed. He served for one year as clerk of Deming township and for five years has filled the office of assessor, discharging his duties with customary efficiency and thoroughness. His is gate-keeper of the local Grange, of which he was formerly overseer, and he possesses many exemplary traits of character, as his fellow townsmen attest.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 541-542.
THORNTON F. DOAN
No review of the development of Whatcom county and of this section of the great state of Washington in general would be complete lacking some reference to the distinctive part taken in that development by Thornton F. Doan, Bellingham architect. Mr. Doan has been a practicing architect in Bellingham for more than twenty-five years, and the impress of his activities is everywhere visible in the works that properly may be classed under the head of modern improvements, not only in that city but throughout this section of Washington generally. His craftsmanship has been particularly evident in the architecture of educational institutions throughout this region since the days not so long ago when the schools were lifted from "the little red school house" stage of their being to the present admirably established standing as fitting houses for the education of the youth, for his books reveal that he has been the architect for no fewer than fifty-six modern school buildings in the state of Washington. He also was the architect for the new Skagit county court house, a piece of monumental architecture of which the people of that flourishing county are quite proud. Another distinctive piece of architecture designed by Mr. Doan was the somewhat notable club house of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks at Anacortes, a building which is recognized as the finest Elks club building in any city of six thousand population in the United States. Incidentally, it also may be said that the Anacortes lodge of the Elks order has the largest enrollment of any town of the size in the country. The spacious dormitory building of the State Normal School at Bellingham is another example of Mr. Doan's craftsmanship which bears something of a monumental character, and there are many other buildings, public, commercial, industrial and residential, which unmistakably manifest the painstaking care which he has taken to reflect honor upon his profession, on of the most recent of these outstanding works being the Pacific College dormitory building at Forest Grove, Oregon, which he designed in 1924.
Thornton F. Doan was born in the interesting old village of Windfall in Tipton county, Indiana, November 25, 1866, and is a son of John and Elizabeth (Perry) Doan, both of whom were born in Kentucky, members of pioneer families in the Blue Grass state and both now deceased. They became residents of Indiana in 1857. An earnest and an apt student, Mr. Doan early became a school teacher and for thirteen years followed that profession. He received his pedagogical degree from the Arkansas State Normal School at Mount Nebo, majoring in mathematics, and from 1892-95 served by appointment as principal of the high school in De Valls Bluff, Prairie county, Arkansas. During this period of his professional service in the school room Mr. Doan was devoting his vacations and other leisure time to the study of the art and science of architecture, and in 1900, attracted to the promising field opening out for that profession in this section of the great northwest country, he came to Washington and became a resident of Bellingham, which ever since has been his home. For something more than three years after taking up his residence here Mr. Doan served as an engineering draftsman and designer in the office of J. J. Donovan and then opened an office of his own. He has since been carrying on his business independently, being one of the best known architects in the state, and he is now president of the Washington State Society of Architects.
On August 22, 1894, at Swifton, Arkansas, Mr. Doan was united in marriage to Miss Lillian Terry, who was born in that state, a daughter of Thomas and Dilia Terry. To their union two sons were born, Lyman and Lester, the latter of whom was born in 1901, and died in 1910. Lyman Doan, born in 1911, is still pursuing his studies. Mr. and Mrs. Doan are members of the Garden Street Methodist Episcopal church and have ever taken an interested and helpful part in the general good works and social and cultural activities of their home town and of the community at large. Mr. Doan has been a member of the Bellingham Chamber of Commerce since 1902 and is a charter member of the locally influential Rotary Club with a record of not having missed a meeting of that club since Washington's birthday in 1919. He is also affiliated with the local lodges of the Knights of Pythias and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 159-160.
GEORGE A. ELLSPERMAN
George A. Ellsperman, one of Whatcom county's honored pioneers, is collector of the port of Sumas and is widely known, owing to his work in this branch of the government service, which covers a period of thirty-two years. A son of Charles and Mary Ellsperman, he was born September 21, 1865, and is a native of Bethalto, Madison county, Illinois. He attended the public schools and lost both of his parents before he reached the age of fourteen. Thus, early in life he was thrown upon his own resources and obtained work in a cooperage shop. He mastered the trade, which he followed in many sections of the country, and in 1888 came to the state of Washington. He purchases the San Juan Islander, a four-page weekly, which he conducted for a year, and was then called to public office, becoming the second county clerk of San Juan county. He also acted as clerk of the superior court and in 1894, during the Cleveland administration, was made deputy collector of the port at Blaine, Washington. When the republican party regained power through the election of William B. McKinley the subject of this sketch was one of the two democratic officials in the state who were retained in the customs department. He assisted in training the new force and after the change in the administration was stationed at Blaine for eighteen and a half years. For over three and a half years he has been collector of the port of Sumas, receiving his appointment from the late President Harding, and his work have been highly satisfactory. Calvin S. Coolidge is the seventh president under whom Mr. Ellsperman has served since he entered the employ of the federal government, and with the exception of two others he is the oldest in point of continuous service of the six hundred or more men in the customs department of this state. He has an expert knowledge of the work and has served the nation with rare fidelity.
On the 19th of May, 1892, Mr. Ellsperman married Miss Eva Viola Carey, of Friday Harbor, Washington, and three children were born to them. Winnifred, the eldest, is the wife of Forest Dunham and the mother of one child, a son. They reside in Oakville, Washington, and her husband is well known to lumbermen of the northwest as the patentee of the Dunham skyline for handling logs. George A., a successful dentist, is practicing in Bellingham and has a wife and two daughters. His brother, Harold C., is following the same profession at Okanogan, Washington, and is married and has one daughter.
Mr. Ellsperman has taken the thirty-second degree in Masonry and is a Noble of the Mystic Shrine. He was grand master of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows during 1901-2 and is also identified with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. He aided Samuel Hill in constructing the peace arch and his activities have been of a nature that has brought him a wide acquaintance. He has many sincere friends throughout the state and has worthily earned the honorable title of "self-made man," for from an early age he has fought life's battles alone and unaided.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 250-251.
DANIEL W. FEATHERKILE
Daniel W. Featherkile is an attorney of high standing, faithfully discharging the many trusts reposed in him, and for twenty-one years has successfully followed his profession in Bellingham. He was born in 1875 and is a native of Kansas. His parents were Samuel and Theresa (Ring) Featherkile, the former a native of Indiana and the latter of Kentucky. They went to Kansas in 1868 and the father took up a homestead. As one of the pioneer agriculturists of that region he endured many hardships and privations, but success at length crowned his labors. In later life he retired and established his home in Florence, Kansas, and his demise occurred in that town, December 26, 1909. His widow is now eighty years of age.
Daniel W. Featherkile received his professional training in the State University of Kansas, from which he was graduated in 1902 with the degree of LL. B., and in the fall of that year he came to Washington. He spent a short time in Seattle and in December, 1903, arrived in Bellingham. In November, 1904, he opened a law office in the city and soon demonstrated his legal acumen. He was appointed justice of the peace in July, 1908, and in the fall of that year was elected to the office, in which he was retained for three terms. At that time he also acted as police judge and in 1917 was elected city attorney, serving for two years. He made a highly creditable record as a public official, and he has since been engaged in general practice. He is well versed in the minutiae of the law and has established a large and desirable clientele.
On June 15, 1909, Mr. Featherkile married Miss Clara H. Hansen, of Bellingham, and their family now numbers three children: Melville Webster, Ivan Richard and Ernest Melton, aged respectively fourteen, thirteen and seven years. Mr. Featherkile gives his political allegiance to the republican party and stands always for reform, progress and improvement in public affairs. He is an earnest student and a man of high principles, well worthy of respect and confidence.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 795-796.
FRANK B. FREEMAN
For twenty-four years a resident of Bellingham, Frank B. Freeman has progressed with the development of the city, making each day and hour count for the utmost, and a large transfer business is the visible result of his well directed labors. He was born March 27, 1876, and is a native of Nova Scotia, Canada. His parents were H. G. and Susan (Burnaby) Freeman, the former of whom was engaged in the hotel business, and both have passed away.
Frank B. Freeman received a public school education and at the age of sixteen went to Massachusetts. He was connected with logging and teaming operations and spent several years in the city of Lowell. In 1902 he came to northwestern Washington and obtained a position as teamster with the Larson Livery & Transfer Company of Bellingham. He was later employed by other firms of a similar nature and eventually became manager of the Model Transfer Company. Encouraged by his success in conducting their interests, Mr. Freeman decided upon an independent venture and on February 1, 1920, embarked in the general storage and transfer business at No. 1310 Commercial street. In 1922 he moved to No. 1109 Railroad avenue, and the business is now housed in a substantial three-story building, fifty-five by ninety feet in dimensions. The warehouse is a concrete structure with ample storage facilities, and he operates seven trucks, averaging from one to five tons in capacity. He has about ten employees and in a few years has built up a large business, displaying initiative, foresight and keen sagacity in its control. The work is performed with promptness and efficiency, and his well known reliability is one of his most valuable business assets.
On September 7, 1918, Mr. Freeman was married, in Bellingham, to Mrs. Mary R. Fenton, a native of Iowa. By a previous union she has three children: Bernice, who is the wife of C. L. Anderson, of Portland, Oregon; Lulu, now Mrs. C. L. Cain, of Ottumwa, Iowa; and R. C. Fenton, who married Miss Melissa McDonald, of Vancouver, British Columbia, and is associated in business with the subject of this sketch. Mr. Freeman is connected with the Fraternal Order of Eagles and the Federated Industries of Washington. He casts his ballot for the candidates of the republican party and supports all worthy public projects. From an early age he has depended upon his own exertions for a livelihood and is now reaping the merited reward of a well spent life, occupying a high place in the esteem of his fellow citizens.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 683.
LYLE A GREENWOOD, M. D.
Dr. Lyle A. Greenwood, an expert Diagnostician, is practicing in Bellingham, his native city, and upon the solid foundation of thorough scientific training has been reared the superstructure of his professional success. He was born in 1892 and is a son of Alonzo and Alice (Archer) Greenwood, the latter a native of Kansas. His father was born in Illinois and migrated to Bellingham in 1888, opening one of the first barber shops in the community. He afterward plied his trade in Lynden, Washington, but subsequently returned to Bellingham.
After the completion of his high school course Dr. Greenwood matriculated in the University of Washington, from which he won the degree of Bachelor of Science in 1915. Later he entered the medical department of Northwestern University, of Evanston, Illinois, from which he was graduated in 1919, and was an interne of the Cook County Hospital until December 31, 1920, after which he received his diploma. In 1921 he returned to Bellingham. He followed his profession independently for two years and has since been a member of the Bellingham Clinic. He enjoys an enviable reputation as specialist in internal medicine and diagnosis and his professional services are much in demand.
In 1918 Dr. Greenwood married Miss Hazel Buth, a graduate nurse and a daughter of H. O. Buth, of Wisconsin. They have become the parents of one child, Nina Ruth. The Doctor served for two months in the Students Army Training Corps and is a member of the American Legion. He belongs to the Optimists Club and along fraternal lines is connected with the Masons and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. He is a republican in his political views and lends the weight of his support to every project for civic betterment. He has been president of the Whatcom County Medical Society and is also a member of the Washington State Medical Society and the American Medical Association. A young man of serious purpose, Dr. Greenwood is deeply engrossed in his profession, in which he is making rapid progress, and his genuine worth has established him high in public regard.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 790.
GEORGE N. HEATON
As one who stands as a splendid type of the progressive and loyal citizens who are making the state of Washington one of the best in the Union, G. N. Heaton, of Delta township, is entitled to personal mention in this work. He has realized large and substantial success, the result of his own well ordered endeavors, for he has been in a significant sense the architect of his own fortune. He is a man of action rather than words. He is eminently utilitarian, and energy of character, firmness of purpose and unswerving integrity are among his chief characteristics. Mr. Heaton was born in Prince Edward county, Ontario, Canada, on the 21st of March, 1856, and is a son of Lyman and Caroline (Brown) Heaton. His father was born in Quebec, Canada, August 5, 1821, and died May 14, 1888, and his mother who also was a native of Quebec, born January 14, 1826, died August 26, 1886. The Heaton family originated in England, whence members of the family came to America in the Mayflower, settling in New England. The subject's paternal grandfather, James Heaton, was born in Quebec, Canada, February 26, 1776, and died September 7, 1866, while his wife, whose maiden name was Lucinda Huntington, was born May 29, 1797, and died July 9, 1868. Lyman Heaton was a carriage worker by trade, following that vocation during the major portion of his life. To him and his wife were born six children, namely: Robert, G. N., Harriet, Minerva, Lewis, and Stewart, deceased. Robert lives in Bellingham, Whatcom county.
G. N. Heaton received a good education in the public schools of Ontario and then learned the carriage making trade with his father. He remained at home until he was twenty-six years of age, when he went to Winnipeg, Canada, where he remained about a year, being employed at the carpenter's trade, and also as an engineer. From there he went to Saskatchewan and Alberta and from the last named place went to Yale, British Columbia, at the head of navigation. He was there employed at bridge building during one season, and he then went to Westminster, British Columbia, where he worked as a millwright for one year. He then built another mill for Burnett and served as foreman in the mill for some time. Later he became foreman for the McLaren Ross mill, near Westminster, which had a capacity of two hundred and fifty thousand feet. He was next for a while employed at carpenter work and was then hired to rebuild a sawmill and box factory, three hundred and fifty miles north of Victoria, British Columbia, after which he was in charge of that plant for five years. He next went into business on his own account, buying a sawmill at Fort Simpson, British Columbia, which he ran for four years and then sold. In 1901 Mr. Heaton came to Bellingham, Whatcom county, and in partnership with his brother, Robert Heaton, ran mills at Wahl, Van Zandt and Lynden. They closed out the mills in 1918 and Mr. Heaton then located on a ranch at Weiser lake. Later he sold that place and bought one hundred and fifteen acres of land in Delta township, about forty acres of which were cleared. He was very successful in the management of this property, but he now has the greater part of it rented. He has about ten acres in a fine, bearing cherry orchard, which demands his attention most of the time. For a while he kept a herd of milk cows, but the cows and the orchard together required too much of his time, so he disposed of the cattle. He is a man of energetic methods, up-to-date in his ideas and sound in his judgment, and he has gained a splendid reputation because of his enterprise and discrimination.
Mr. Heaton was married, November 16, 1886, to Miss Bethany Pollard, who was born in Ontario, Canada, a daughter of Henry and Mary (Alcock) Pollard, the father a native of Canada and the mother of England. Mrs. Pollard came to Ontario, Canada, with her parents, when she was six months old. Her father was a pioneer business man of that locality and was engaged in the manufacture of shoes. Mr. and Mrs. Pollard were the parents of six children: Bethany, Robert, John, Rose Mary, Harry and Ada. The parents of these children are both dead, the father dying in 1908 and the mother in 1920. In 1894 they had moved to New Westminster, British Columbia, where the father was engaged in business up to the time of his death. To Mr. and Mrs. Heaton have been born five children: Mrs. Amy Alberg, who lives in Tacoma, Washington, is the mother of three children, Arthur Dorr, Ursula and Mildred. Mrs. Edith Ecker, who lives in Bellingham, Whatcom county, is the mother of four children, Merlin, Clarice, Evelyn May and Marion. Harry is a veteran of the World war, having enlisted in November, 1917, in the Machine Gun Corp of the Canadian army. He served overseas two years and went "over the top" seven time, unwounded, though in a later engagement he was badly gassed. He won the French military medal for signal bravery in action. He served until the close of the war, when he was honorably discharged, and is now living in Los Angeles, California. Ogle is the next of the family. Loraine also is a veteran of the World war, having served tow years in the United States Marines, but was not sent overseas. He now lives in Seattle, is married and has tow children, Bethany Jane and Robert.
G. N. Heaton is a man of marked force of character, though entirely unassuming in manner, and has long been numbered among the representative men of his locality. He is eminently public-spirited, giving his earnest support to all measures for the advancement of the public welfare and giving generously of his means to all worthy benevolent objects. As a man of ability, sturdy integrity and usefulness, and as a citizen representative of the utmost loyality, he has fully merited the high place which he occupies in the confidence and esteem of his fellowmen, who recognize in him the essential qualifications of good citizenship.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 231-232.
Note: George Nelson Heaton died February 19, 1943; survivors: wife Bethany; sons Harry, of Bremerton, Ogle, of B'ham, and Robert of L.A.; daughter Edith Ecker of B'ham and brother Robert of Parsons, KS.
FRED HINTZ
As one of the pioneer building contractors of Bellingham, Fred Hintz is widely and favorably known, and for thirty-five years he has also been numbered among the progressive agriculturists of this district. A son of John Frederick and Jane (Davis) Hintz, he was born August 27, 1860, and is a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His father was a wagon maker by trade and in 1865 moved with his family to Iowa. He took up government land and resided in that state until his demise in 1876. He was long survived by the mother, who reached the venerable age of eighty-two years, passing away in Bellingham in 1922.
Fred Hintz was but five years old when his parents migrated to Iowa, and his education was acquired in the Hawkeye state. After his graduation from high school he obtained a position in an architect's office in which he spent two years, and then served an apprenticeship to the carpenter's trade. He followed his trade for seven years at Fort Kearney, Nebraska, and in 1890 came to Bellingham, which was then known as Whatcom. He is a master workman and has erected many buildings which are the principal ornaments of their respective neighborhoods, pleasing to the eye and constructed with a conscientious regard for real utility and the comfort and convenience of their inmates. In 1891 Mr. Hintz purchased three and one-third acres of land near Bellingham and afterward added seven acres to his holdings. He has one of the best farms of the locality and is much interested in fruit raising, having a fine apple orchard of three acres. He owns four blooded cows, and he is also engaged in the poultry business, keeping a flock of two hundred hens. He gives deep thought to his work, which is performed with thoroughness and efficiency, and has prospered in all of his undertakings.
In 1887 Mr. Hintz married Miss Sophia Maria Wilson, who was born in Ohio and in early life moved to Kansas. They have become the parents of six children, of who Hazel is the eldest. She is the wife of Jack Boyd, of Acme, Washington, and they have a family of four children. Itha Fern was united in marriage to T. E. McCoy and they are now living in Seattle. Forrest Ray, who married C. M. Harter, resides in Tacoma and has two children. Jessie, the next in order of birth, is at home. Majel, a talented vocalist, is a widow and has one child, a son. Vera is the wife of L. R. Hensley, and their home is in Spokane, Washington.
Mr. Hintz is an accomplished musician, playing both the clarinet and the bass drum, and his daughters have inherited his artistic gifts. During his youth he was noted for his athletic prowess, winning many foot races, and he also achieved prominence in exhibition boxing, participating in that sport until 1920. He is identified with the Modern Woodmen of America and in politics follows an independent course, placing the qualifications of a candidate above all other considerations. His is a symmetrical, well rounded life, crowned with success and marked by the appreciation of men whose good opinion is worth the having.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 549-550.
LENA M. HOLMAN
Lena M. Holman conducts an attractive millinery establishment at Bellingham as proprietress of the Tulip Hat Shop, which she opened in 1923. Her birth occurred in Chicago, Illinois, while her parents were born in Wisconsin. She spent her girlhood in her native city, where she acquired her education and when still very young began learning the millinery business with Gage Brothers & Company of Chicago, wholesale manufacturers and importers of millinery. She continued in the service of this concern for about eighteen years and was employed as designer for a number of years. During this period she also designed millinery for Taylor Brothers of Kansas City.
It was in January, 1923, that Miss Holman made her way westward to Whatcom county, Washington, and opened the Tulip Hat Shop at No. 209 West Holly street in Bellingham, where she has since developed a gratifying and profitable patronage. She displays the most advanced millinery modes at all times and is widely known as a woman of marked artistic sense and personal charm as well as excellent business ability.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 665.
GEORGE HOVEL
One of the leading farmers of the Sumas valley is George Hovel, who has gained not only material prosperity but also a high place in the esteem of his fellow citizens. His valuable property has been acquired through his own efforts - his persistency of purpose, determination and indomitable industry - and he is eminently deserving of the success that has crowned his efforts. Mr. Hovel was born in Duesseldorf, Germany, on the 2nd of February, 1848, and is a son of John and Dora Hovel, the latter of whom died in her native land. The father, who was born in 1819, died in Wisconsin in 1900. He came to the United States in 1860, settling in Wisconsin, where he bought a farm, which he operated for many years, but he finally retired and moved to Buffalo City, that state, where he spent his remaining years. To him and his wife was born one child, the subject of this sketch.
George Hovel was educated in Germany and in the public schools of Wisconsin. He remained with his father until 1888, when he came to Seattle, Washington, and went to work for the Lake Shore & Eastern Railroad, helping to construct that line. He followed railroading for nineteen years and then came to a small ranch which he had purchased near Sumas, Whatcom county. Later he added twenty acres and then fifteen acres, so that he is now the owner of forty-five acres of good, fertile land. When he bought it, the land was covered with timber and brush and a vast amount of work was required to get it ready for cultivation. About forty acres are now cleared and under the plow. He gives special attention to dairying, keeping ten to twelve good grade milk cows, for the feeding of which he raises good crops of hay. Mr. Hovel built a good house on the place and built a substantial barn some time later. He has been an industrious and steady worker and keeps his farm in good shape, it being a well improved and very attractive property.
In 1869 Mr. Hovel was married to Miss Mary Hiller, who was born in Wisconsin, and whose death occurred in 1879. to this union were born four sons, John Henry, Andrew, Joseph and Mathias, the first two of whom are deceased. In 1881 Mr. Hovel was married to Miss Elizabeth Mahlmann, who was born in Buffalo county, Wisconsin, and whose death occurred July 30, 1924. To them were born eight children, namely: Mrs. Rosie Morrison, who lives in Ferndale, Whatcom county, and is the mother of four sons, Percy, Mortimer, George and Leonard; George; Harvy; Mrs. Mary Baxter; Elmer; Harley, who is a veteran of the World war, having served with the Ninety-first Division; Mrs. Josephine Wells, who is the mother of three children, Delois, Rowena and Lorene; and Annie, who remains at home. Mr. Hovel has lived a long and useful life, discharging his duties of citizenship in a manner that has earned the commendation of his fellow citizens, and he has well earned the high place which he holds in their confidence and good will.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 199-200.
JOSEPH H. KAGEY
The life of the late J. H. Kagey was so replete with honor and duty well performed that it might well be held up as a model for the youth standing at the parting of the ways. He was of sterling old Virginia ancestry, and many of their noble traits seemed to crop out in him, rendering him a man of courage, stability of character and public spirit, whom to know was to honor and esteem, and he is well deserving of a memorial in the permanent record of his county. Mr. Kagey, whose death on May 7, 1914, was considered a distinct loss to his community, was born at Newmarket, Virginia, in the late '40s, a son of Peter and Mary M. (Nysewander) Kagey. The father was of Swiss descent and spent his entire life in Virginia, his death occurring when the subject of this sketch was but a small boy. The mother, who also spent her entire life in that state, was of German descent.
J. H. Kagey attended the public schools of his home neighborhood and then gave his attention to farming for a few years, later learning and working at the plasterer's trade. He remained in Virginia until about 1881, when he went to the northwest, spending a year in Idaho and eastern Washington. He then came to Whatcom county, locating near Blaine in 1882, and for two years was variously employed in that locality. He then came to Semiahmoo and homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres, comprising the present site of the family home. During this period he worked in a mill and in other ways in order to provide a living for the family while getting his land cleared and a home established. He also homesteaded a tract east of Blaine, but never proved up on that tract. Later he bought ten acres near the present farm. The land at that time was heavily timbered, and he devoted himself to clearing about ten acres of the place, the remainder being slashed. During most of the time he lived here Mr. Kagey, in addition to the operation of his own farm, was otherwise employed, and thus always kept the family in comfortable circumstances while getting a start in his own affairs. He was a steady, industrious and hard-working man, attended strictly to his own affairs and acted the part of a good citizen, being to a commendable degree interested in the progress and prosperity of his community, and during all of the years of his identification therewith he commanded the unbounded confidence and esteem of all who knew him. Genial and kindly, he easily made friends and always retained them, being numbered among the most popular residents of this locality.
On August 1, 1888, Mr. Kagey was married to Miss Mary C. Rogers, who was born in Tama county, Iowa, a daughter of R. M. and Meribah (Stewart) Rogers, who are referred to in a review of the Rogers family on other pages of this work. To Mr. and Mrs. Kagey were born ten children: Alton W., who is married and lives in Semiahmoo, is a veteran of the World war, having been in the service as a private in the Sixth Regiment, United States Marines, for two years and one month, eighteen months of that time having been spent overseas, where he took part in the battles at Aisne and Chateau Thierry. Samuel R., who is married, lives on the Dakota creek, near Blaine; Fay, who is a minister of the Missionary Baptist church, is married and lives with his mother. Willis G., who is engaged in logging across the Canadian border, was also for two years in the United States service during the World war, spending eighteen months in France as a private in the Sixth Regiment of Marines, with which he took part in the battles of Soissons and Chateau Thierry, being wounded in the first named engagement. Leslie O., of Morrison Mill, is married and has a daughter. Jessie B. is the wife of C. A. Bartlett, of Dakota creek, and they have a son. Roy S. is at home. John R. was accidentally shot November 10, 1923. Floyd M. and James Allen are also at home. Mr. Kagey was a man of fine public spirit. He served for a number of years on the school board and was one of the early supervisors of his township. He did his full duty in all the relations of life and was eminently deserving of the fine measure of confidence and esteem which was accorded him throughout the community.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 881-882.
JOSEPH KEMPHAUS
Unfailing energy and mental alertness are an executive's chief requisites, and possessing these qualities, Joseph Kemphaus has become a leading factor in the promotion of the dry goods trade in Bellingham, in which he has made his home for many years. A son of Bernard and Mary Kemphaus, he was born in 1874 and is a native of Kentucky. He received a public school education and began his business career in Cincinnati, Ohio, as a clerk in the employ of the firm of H. & S. Pogue with which he was identified for ten years. He was next associated with the Ypsilanti Underwear Company, which he represented for five years in the capacity of traveling salesman, covering the territory from St. Louis, Missouri, to the Atlantic coast and thence proceeding to New Orleans, Louisiana, while he also journeyed through Michigan and Iowa.
On severing his relations with that corporation Mr.Kemphaus came to Bellingham and for five years was connected with the firm of Montague & McHugh, general merchants. On October 1, 1910, he opened a general store at No. 1323 Commercial street, occupying one floor and having a frontage of twenty-five feet. In April 1911, he purchased the business of Kauffman Brothers at Nos. 206-8 West Holly street and in 1919 erected an addition fifty-five by one hundred and twenty-five feet at Nos. 209-11 Commercial street. The store on West Holly street is fifty by one hundred and ten feet in dimensions, and the firm sells dry goods and ladies' ready-to-wear garments. Employment is furnished to twenty-eight people, and the business is the second largest of the kind in Bellingham. It was incorporated in 1910 and is controlled by the following officers: W. B. Gray, president; Mrs. Mary M. Kemphaus, vice president; and Joseph Kemphaus, secretary, treasurer and manager. Mr. Kemphaus closely supervises every detail of the business, directing its larger phases with marked sagacity and executive force, and his labors have been followed by gratifying results. He has always regarded satisfied customers as the best advertisement and the steady growth of the trade is indicative of the quality of service rendered to patrons of the house.
In August, 1905, Mr. Kemphaus married Miss Mary Mallahan, of South Bellingham, and they have two sons, Joseph, Jr., and Jack. Mrs. Kemphaus is a capable business woman and her advice and assistance have been of material benefit to the firm. Mr. Kemphaus gives his political allegiance to the democratic party and is a faithful communicant of the Catholic church. He is a Knight of Columbus and also belongs to the local lodge of Elks. He is connected with the Kiwanis and Country Clubs of Bellingham and is one of the enthusiastic members of the Chamber of Commerce. He lends the weight of his support to every worthy civic project and stands deservedly high in the esteem of his fellowmen.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 784.
MARION A. KEYES
Dr. Marion A. Keyes, formerly a successful lawyer, is now a highly esteemed member of the medical fraternity of Blaine and has also done important work in the field of public service. He was born december 15, 1879, in Mayville, New York, and is a son of Marion A. and Catherine (Burnett) Keyes. The father was engaged in merchandising in the Empire state until 1918, when he retired from business and has since made his home in Bellingham, Washington.
After the completion of his public school course, Dr. Keyes entered Cornell University, from which he won the degree of L.L.B. in 1900, and in the same year located in Blaine, Washington. He devoted his energies to the legal profession until 1906, practicing for a time in Ferndale, and then became a medical student at the University of Buffalo, from which he was graduated with the class of 1910. For a year he was an intern of the Erie County Hospital at Buffalo and then opened an office in Clymer, New York, where he was engaged in the practice of medicine for about seven years. He returned to Blaine in the spring of 1918 and has since established a large general practice. He is a surgeon in the United States Public Health Service, city health officer and local surgeon for the Great Northern Railroad Company. He is well versed in the science of his profession and has successfully performed many difficult operations.
In 1911 Dr. Keyes married Miss Ann E. Stringer, of Toronto, Canada, and they have two children: Marion and William. The doctor is an adherent of the republican party and conscientiously discharges the duties of citizenship. He has served on the school board and in 1925 was elected mayor of Blaine for a term of two years. He is progressive in his ideas and every effort to raise the moral, intellectual or material standards of the community receives his hearty support. He is a Scottish Rite Mason and is also connected with the Eastern Star and the Fraternal Order of Eagles. An earnest student, he is constantly striving to perfect himself in his profession and keeps in close touch with its onward trend through his affiliation with the Whatcom County and Washington State Medical Societies and the American Medial Association. Realizing the importance of his mission, he is never neglectful of his patients, and his fellow practitioners as well as the general public speak of him in terms of the highest respect.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 619.
ROBERT L. KLINE
Robert L. Kline, one of Whatcom county's honored pioneers, has been engaged in the real estate business in Bellingham for more than a quarter of a century, and his constructive labors have been of signal service to the city as well as a source of individual prosperity. He was one of the able members of the state senate and has also filled county offices, performing with thoroughness and efficiency every task which he has undertaken, whether of a public or private nature. A son of Jacob and Mary Kline, he was born August 7, 1858, and is a native of Cambria county, Pennsylvania. His mother passed away in the Keystone state, and in later life the father came to Bellingham, where he spent his remaining years.
Robert L. Kline received a public school education, and he earned his first money by working in the coal mines of Pennsylvania. In 1885 he yielded to the lure of the west and came to Whatcom, Washington, which at that time was a small settlement in the midst of a wilderness. He took up a squatter's claim, choosing for his home a tract which was situated a distance of twenty miles from the town and in a district that had not been surveyed. The forest abounded in wild game and he experienced all of the phases of frontier life. After years of patient toil Mr. Kline transformed his land into a fine farm with well tilled fields, good building and many modern improvements. He operated the ranch until 1900, when he sold the place and turned his attention to the real estate business, opening an office in Bellingham. He aided in subdividing the Kershaw & Kline and the Eldridge and Kline-Garden additions and has done much to increase property values in this locality. In development projects he not only studies present needs and conditions but looks ever beyond the exigencies of the moment to the possibilities and requirements of the future. Mr. Kline is regarded as an authority on real estate conditions in Bellingham and his advice is frequently sought when important deals are to be consummated. He also writes insurance and through good management and honorable methods has built up an extensive business, being the recognized leader in this field.
In September, 1881, Mr. Kline married miss Etta M. Gates, of Pennsylvania, and to their union were born three children: James Henry, who is married and is connected with the state highway department in an engineering capacity; Mary, the wife of Fred S. Murphy, who is associated with her father in business; and Glenwood, who is also married and resides in Bellingham. Mr. Kline is a staunch adherent of the republican party and was first called to public office in 1891, acting as county assessor for four years. He was county commissioner for six years, from 1898 until 1904, and was then elected to represent his district in the state senate. He served for two terms and took a prominent part in the legislative proceedings during those sessions. He was one of the influential members of the Bellingham Chamber of Commerce and was its president in 1903-4. He is a Catholic in religious faith and his fraternal connections are with the Knights of Columbus and the Woodmen of the World. Mr. Kline occupies a high place in the esteem of his fellowmen and his life has been a constantly expanding force for good citizenship.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 790-793.
HENRY KRUMSICK
Henry Krumsick has long enjoyed prestige as a leading citizen of the community in which he resides and as an official who has rendered effective service to his locality. His prominence in the community is the result of genuine merit and ability and in every relation of life his many excellencies of character and his faithful discharge of every duty have won for him and enviable reputation among his fellowmen. He was born in Germany in 1848 and is a son of Frederick and Amelia (Schroeder) Krumsick, both of whom spent their entire lives and died in the fatherland. Our subject attended the public schools of Germany and then took part in the Franco-Prussian war, in which he was wounded. He then went to Holland, where he was employed for fifteen years in the brick making industry, and at the end of that time he emigrated to the United States, locating in Kansas. There he engaged in farming until 1883, when he came to Whatcom county and homesteaded the farm where he now lives. The locality was at that time a veritable wilderness, to which he came by way of the Telegraph road, from which he made a trail into his land, cutting a road through two years later.
Mr. Krumsick lived in Whatcom until 1884, when he moved onto his land, and he was compelled for about two years to pack in all his provisions. He did his trading at Whatcom, the trip there and back taking a full day. Wild animals, such as bears, deer, wild cats and cougars, were numerous and added to the primitiveness of the scene. However, in the course of time this was changed and an attractive and productive farm rose out of the wilderness, about thirty acres being cleared and in cultivation. The first years here were hard ones for Mr. Krumsick and he was compelled to go out to work in order to earn money for current expenses. He made many shingle bolts but could not sell them, as there was no way of getting them out of his place. His first house was of logs, but was well built, and this is the house in which he still lives, thought it has been weather-boarded and finished so as to completely hide the logs, and it is now a very comfortable and attractive home. Mr. Krumsick devotes his attention mainly to dairy farming, keeping twenty-two high grade Guernsey cattle, in the handling of which he has met with a very gratifying measure of success. He raises fine crops of hay, oats and other grain, and is realizing a good income from his farm.
Mr. Krumsick has been twice married, first, in 1875, to Miss Amelia Levine, and secondly in 1890, to Miss Rike Schneider, who was born in Germany, from which country she came to the United States in 1890. Her parents were Jacob and Rike (Schafer) Schneider, who came to this county in 1881. To Mr. and Mrs. Krumsick have been born four children, namely: Edward O. and Walter, who are at home; Alfred, who died at the age of twelve years; and Bertha, who is the wife of L. W. Beidler, of Ten Mile. Mrs. Krumsick is a member of the Evangelical church. Mr. Krumsick belongs to the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association, and he has been active in his support of everything pertaining to the welfare of the community. He was formerly a road overseer of his district. A man of energetic and industrious habits, he exercises sound judgment in all his business affairs, and the success which has crowned his efforts has been well merited. He is friendly and affable and enjoys a wide acquaintance throughout this section of the county.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 362-363.
OLAND D. LAMOUREAUX
The life of O. D. Lamoureaux, of Ten Mile township, Whatcom county, has been a busy and successful one and 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. It is such men as he who give character and stability to a community.
Mr. Lamoureaux was born in Marysville, Quebec, Canada, in 1852, and is a son of Francois and Olive (Picard) Lamoureaux, both of whom also were natives of Canada. The father, who was a farmer and also taught school, died in his native province, while the mother, who likewise was a school teacher, died in Hartford, Connecticut. O. D. Lamoureaux was reared at home and received a somewhat limited education, attending school for but a short time. He remained on his father's farm until he was about twenty-four years of age, and in 1879 he went to Reno, Nevada. This was immediately after the big fire which swept that place, when a call was issued for carpenters. However, too many responded, so after a few months there Mr. Lamoureaux went to the Sacramento valley, California, where he was engaged in farming for about a year and a half. He then located at Walla Walla, Washington, which at that time was newly settled, and there, in the woods of the Blue mountains, he was engaged in getting out railroad ties and other timber for about a year, the material being used in the construction of the Oregon Railroad & Navigation Company's road. From there he went to British Columbia, where he was engaged in logging during two summers.
In the spring of 1883 Mr. Lamoureaux came to Whatcom county and homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land, comprising his present fine farm, but he did not occupy this until 1886. The tract was densely covered with virgin timber and the woods were filled with wild animals, among them being deer, bears, cougars, wildcats and beavers, while pheasants also were numerous. Mr. Lamoureaux walked all the way from Westminster to his land, and most of his early trading was done at Nooksack Crossing. About forty-three acres of the tract are now cleared, the remainder being slashed, and the farm has been developed into one of the best and most desirable in this locality. In the early days Mr. Lamoureaux worked out a good deal in order to earn ready money to keep himself going until his farm should become productive. Those early years were characterized by continuous labor of the hardest sort, but in the course of time he began to see the result of his efforts. He is now giving his attention chiefly to dairying, keeping a fine herd of good grade milk cows, and he also raises pigs and chickens, as well as all the filed crops commonly grown in this section of the country. He has recently likewise turned his attention to berries, of which he has planted about five acres. A man of industrious habits, who exercises sound judgment in the management of his affairs, he is well deserving of the splendid measure of success which he has attained.
In 1893 Mr. Lamoureaux was married to Miss Frances Parker, who was born and reared in Canada, and her death occurred in 1913. Her parents had brought their family to Whatcom county about 1887. To Mr. and Mrs. Lamoureaux were born six children, namely: Lorenzo, who is married and is living at Ten Mile; Orcelia, who is the wife of Milton Sear, of Springfield, Oregon, and has three sons; Dorcey, who is engaged in the logging camps; Tina, the wife of Frank Kuehnoel, of Ten Mile; and Arthur and John, who are at home. Mr. Lamoureaux has been a member of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association ever since its organization. He was formerly for many years a member of the Forest Grove school board and also served for a long time as road supervisor. He has taken a real interest in everything pertaining to the advancement of the community and has long borne a reputation as one of the most enterprising and public-spirited citizens of Ten Mile township.
(Name sometimes spelled LAMOREAUX)
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 406-409.
JOHN McKAY
By a few general observations may be conveyed some idea of the character and worthy career of John McKay, who for many years has stood among the industrious and enterprising farmers of the Nooksack valley. He has pursued the even tenor of his way in a quiet and unostentatious manner, attending strictly to his own affairs and endeavoring to perform his full part as a citizen of this favored community. He was born on Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, on the 11th of May, 1857, and is a son of Daniel and Mary (Matthison) McKay, the father a native of Glasgow, Scotland, and the mother born on one of the islands along the western coast of that country. Daniel McKay was brought to Nova Scotia in 1830, when eight years of age, and was reared to the life of a farmer, which vocation he followed there during the remainder of his life, his death occurring November 8, 1886. His wife died February 8, 1910. Of the twelve children who blessed their union, six are living, namely: Christina and Norman, who live in Nova Scotia; Isabella, who lives in Massachusetts; John, the subject of this sketch; James, who lives at Clearbrook, Whatcom county; and Mrs. Annie Hayden, of Bellingham, Whatcom county.
John McKay received his education in the public schools of Nova Scotia and remained at home until 1881, when he came to the United States, locating first in Pennsylvania, where he was employed in the woods for about nine years. In October, 1890, he came to Whatcom county, stopping in Bellingham for a few months, and in the spring of 1891 he bought fifteen acres of raw land at Clearbrook, in Nooksack township. He immediately entered upon the task of clearing the land, though in the meantime he accepted other employment to help pay expenses. He built a house on the place in 1892 and later built an addition to it. The small barn first erected was replaced by a larger and better one in 1912. In 1896 he bought forty acres of land adjoining his first purchase, and he now now has all of the land cleared and under cultivation. He keeps from fifteen to twenty good cows, some of them pure bred, and a pure bred registered bull, and he raises good crops of hay and grain, as well as corn sufficient to fill his silo, which was built in 1917. He has been very successful in the cultivation of his corn, on which he received first prize at the Northwestern Washington fair in 1925. His farm is well improved in every respect and is considered one of the most desirable ranches in this locality.
On October 30, 1887, Mr. McKay was married to Miss Mary Rukgaber, who was born in Pennsylvania, a daughter of Christian and Mary (Plfuger) Rukgaber, both of whom were natives of Germany. The father came to the United States about 1850, locating in Pennsylvania, where he was successfully engaged in farming. He died there January 23, 1885, and his wife passed away July 27, 1887. They were the parents of ten children, namely: Henry, Fred, Minnie, Christ, Sophie, Caroline, Washington,deceased, Mary, John and Margaret. To Mr. and Mrs. McKay have been born ten children, as follows: Mrs. Mary E. Weide, who is the mother of four children - Winifred, born May 2, 1911; Theodore, born August 18, 1912; Wesley, born January 4, 1914; and Milton, born May 30, 1921; James, the next in the family, who was born August 10, 1893; Violet, who was born March 30, 1896, died August 5, 1907; Helen, who was born April 26, 1901, and died July 14, 1908; Douglas, born December 12, 1903, who is at home; Ruth, born June 19, 1906, who was married November 18, 1925, to Jasper Stephens; and four who died in infancy. James is a veteran of the World war, having entered the Canadian army immediately on the outbreak of the war. He enlisted at Ontario in the Yorkshire Cavalry, with which command he was sent to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and in the fall of 1914 was sent to England. He was in training camp there at Champlain for three months and then entered upon active service in France. For two years he was in the front line trenches and he received wounds in two engagements. He was invalided in hospitals in France for three months and spent three weeks in English hospitals and in 1917 was honorably discharged from the Canadian army, being crippled and unfit for further service. He is now living in Michigan and is employed as a traveling salesman.
Mr. McKay is a member of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association and takes a deep interest in everything affecting the farmers and dairymen of the county. He is a broadminded, thoughtful man, keeping in close touch with the issues of the day, and holds a place among the influential men of his community. Though quiet and unassuming, he possesses a forceful personality, which has made its impress on his fellow citizens, among whom he is held in the highest regard.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 133-134.
JEREMIAH S. MOSIER
Jeremiah S. Mosier, one of the well known citizens of Bellingham, now living retired, was born in Crawford county, Pennsylvania, in 1852, and is a son of David and Elizabeth (Matter) Mosier, both of whom were born in that state, members of old families there, the former in Berkes county and the latter in Dauphin county. In 1867, when fifteen years of age, he moved with his parents to Iowa, the family settling on a farm in Benton county, where he finished his schooling in the local academy and at eighteen years of age became employed as a teacher in the schools of his home county, rendering this service at a wage of twenty dollars a month and walking seven miles to and from school. For four or five years he continued teaching during the winters, meantime carrying on farm operations during the summers, and then he bought land in Benton county and began farming on his own account. Some years later he sold that place to advantage and moved farther west in Iowa, buying a farm in Plymouth county, and was there engaged in farming for five years or until his removal, in 1885, to Marcus, Cherokee county, Iowa, where he engaged in the poultry business, a line to which he presently added a grocery store. He also engaged in the grain business and in the local realty trade, being one of the active factors in the development of the general interests of that town. For more than twenty-five years Mr. Mosier continued to make his home in Marcus and upon his retirement in 1913 he came to the Sound country, establishing his home in Bellingham, where he since has been living pleasantly retired, he and his wife residing at 2439 Ellis street, where they are quite comfortably situated.
It was in 1880, in Benton county, Iowa, that Mr. Mosier was united in marriage to Miss Mary Thompson, who was born in that state, daughter of William and Nancy (Tarres) Thompson, natives of Ohio, and the former of whom was the owner of a large farm in Benton county, Iowa, where Mrs. Mosier made her home until her marriage. Of the three children born to this union two are deceased. A daughter, Gertrude, married P. D. Schnebly, now living at Ellensburg, Washington, and has four children, Mary Frances, Dorris Armine, William Mosier Schnebly and Donald Schnebly. Mr. Schnebly was graduated from the Marcus high school and also from the Washington State Normal school at Bellingham and from the Morningside Conservatory of Music at Sioux City, Iowa, and prior to her marriage for three years in Iowa and three years at Ellensburg engaged in teaching. Mr. and Mrs. Mosier are member of the Methodist Episcopal church and are republicans. During the many years of his residence at Marcus, Iowa, Mr. Mosier gave considerable attention to local civic affairs and had rendered public service in various capacities - assessor, member of the town council and census enumerator. He is a veteran member of the Independent Order of Odd fellows and for years has taken an earnest interest in the activities of that popular fraternal organization.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 449.
A. J. S. OLSON
Agriculture has been an honored vocation from the earliest ages, and the free out-of-door life of the tiller of the soil has a decided tendency to foster and develop that independence of mind and self-reliance which characterize true manhood. The subject of this sketch was reared to the life of a farmer, and though he has at times pursued other occupations he has finally turned again to this basic industry and has attained a success fully commensurate with his efforts, being now one of the successful and enterprising farmers of his community. A. J. S. Olson is a native of the state of Nebraska, his birth occurring on the 30th of October, 1877, and he is a son of Swan and Anna Olson, both of whom were natives of Sweden. They came to the United States in 1869, locating in Nebraska, where the father took up one hundred and sixty acres of land in Washington county, of which locality he was a pioneer. He there created a fine place, on which he lived until his death, which occurred February 14, 1898. H is survived by his widow, who now lives in Seattle, Washington. They were the parents of five children, namely: Mrs. Christina Johnson, of Seattle; Mrs. Edith Hartelins, of Seattle; Otto, who lives on the old homestead in Nebraska; A. J. S., the subject of this sketch, and Edward, who lives in Nebraska.
A. J. S. Olson attended the public schools of his native state and also had two years of work in a normal college there. He remained at home until he attained his majority, when he engaged in the mercantile business in that sate in partnership with his brother-in-law, Mr. Johnson. One year later he went to Ogden, Utah, and was engaged in railroad work for about a year. In 1904 Mr. Olson came to Washington, stopping in Seattle a short time, and then went to Portland, Oregon, where he worked for the Wells-Fargo Express Company for three years. At the end of that time he returned to Seattle, where he remained until 1910. He then came to Sumas, Whatcom county, and bought eighty acres of land three miles east of that place, sixty acres of which were cleared. Here he has met with pronounced success and has so improved his farm as to place it among the most desirable ranches of the locality. He gives considerable attention to dairying, for which purpose he keeps thirty good grade Jersey cows, ten head of young stock and a registered bull. He has a good silo, for which he raises his own corn, and he raises good crops of hay, grain and peas, practically all of which is fed to his stock. He is up-to-date in his methods, using a tractor in his land cultivation and also operating a threshing machine.
On November 23, 1914, Mr. Olson was married to Miss Jennie T. Waples, who was born in Chicago, Illinois, a daughter of Magnus and Anna (Robinson) Waples, and to their unto have been born three children, namely: Dorothy Ann, born March 12, 1917; Marie Jeanette, born July 2, 1918, and Albert Donald, born January 21, 1923. Mrs. Olson is a woman of splendid personal qualities and has been a true helpmate to her husband in the best sense of the term. She came to Whatcom county in young girlhood and has been a witness of the splendid development which has taken place here within her recollection. Mr. Olson is a member of the board of directors of the Farmers Mutual Telephone Company and has taken a commendable interest in everything pertaining to the welfare and prosperity of his community. He is a man of sterling character, kindly and hospitable, and has deservedly won an enviable place in the esteem and confidence of his fellow citizens.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 617-618.
WHITMAN PALMER
Whitman Palmer, who is one of the elderly and highly respected farmers and dairymen of the vicinity of Blaine, has passed through many and varied experiences since he first came to the state of Washington, and his career has been characterized by hard and unremitting labor, but prosperity has crowned his efforts and today he is in very comfortable circumstances and able to take life a little more leisurely than formerly. He has so ordered his actions as to earn the respect of all who know him and he is well deserving of representation in the permanent record of the annals of his county. Mr. Palmer was born in Jamestown, New York, on the 30th of December, 1850, and is a son of Henry and Clarissa (Penholow) Palmer. The father, who was a native of New York state, was a shoemaker by trade, and his death occurred in Iowa about 1870. The mother was a native of Connecticut and a descendant of old Pilgrim stock, her American progenitors having come to this county on the Mayflower. In 1853 Henry Palmer brought his family from New York to Guttenberg, Iowa, where he bought a tract of school land and was engaged in farming up to the time of his death.
Whitman Palmer secured his educational training in the public schools of Iowa, to which state he was taken when but three years of age. He remained on the home farm until he had attained his majority, when he went to Dunn county, Wisconsin, and went to work in the lumber mills, where he remained about six years. He then went to St. Croix county, Wisconsin and established a grist mill, but quicksands and freshets ruined the mill and he left there, going to Polk county, that state, where for a few years he served as foreman of a lath mill, after which, for a number of years, he was foreman of logging camps, the mill and camps being owned by brothers-in-law of his father. He remained with them about ten years and then returned to Dunn county, where he owned town property at Knapp, besides which he rented one hundred acres of farm land, which he operated about a year. In the fall of 1890 he came to the vicinity of Blaine, Whatcom county, and soon afterward went into a logging camp at Drayton, where his wife was also employed, as cook. He was next at Anacortes for three months and a similar length of time at Bellingham. He then returned to Blaine and, having accidentally cut his hand severely, disabling him temporarily from labor, he spent about a year with his wife's family. When again able to work he went into a mill at Drayton, where he remained about two years, when the mill was destroyed by fire. Then, coming to Blaine, he went to work in a mill at the wage of ten cents an hour, and was glad to get even that employment, as times were very hard at that period in this locality.
In 1897 he and his wife went to Alaska, where he obtained employment in a sawmill as edger, while his wife worked as cook. After three years in that territory they returned to Blaine but soon afterward went to Surrey Center, British Columbia, where he obtained a foremanship and his wife a position as cook. A year later they came to Drayton, where they spent a summer, after which Mrs. Palmer established a restaurant at Semiahmoo Spit, which she ran for several years, Mr. Palmer working in a sawmill in the meantime. Then for about ten months they were some seventy miles north of Vancouver, where Mr. Palmer was foreman of a sawmill and Mrs. Palmer cooked for the crew. After that they spent a short time at Semiahmoo Spit, and then Mr. Palmer turned his attention to farming, renting a place at Drayton, which he operated for about six years. In 1909 they moved onto their present farm, the first four acres of which he had purchased in 1907. Later he added eight acres and then twenty acres, so that he is now the owner of thirty-two acres of splendid land, from practically all of which he has cut off the heavy timber and brush which covered it when he bought it. He gives his principal attention to dairying, keeping four milk cows and four head of young stock, for which he raises practically all the feed necessary on his place. He has a number of fine improvements, including the necessary farm buildings, and the ranch reflects the sound judgment and excellent taste of its owner.
On August 30, 1874, Mr. Palmer was married to Miss Sarah Jane Thompson, who was born in Antrim, Ohio, a daughter of Rees and Mary (Payne) Thompson, the former of whom was born at Wheeling, West Virginia, and the latter at Newcomerstown, Ohio, where he father was a successful farmer. Mr. Thompson was a cabinet maker by trade, and he moved with the family to Wisconsin when the daughter was but four years of age. In the latter state she received her education, living at Menominee until fifteen years of age, and her marriage to Mr. Palmer occurred at Eaugalla, Wisconsin. To Mr. and Mrs. Palmer have been born eight children, namely: Harrison Rees, who died when five years of age; Frederick Elmer, who died at the age of seventeen months; Mrs. Queenie May Jenkins, a widow, who now lives in Seattle and who is the mother of a son, Wallace Whitman; Whitman Clyde, who died in 1885; Mrs. Nellie Parline Scott, who lives at Olympia, Washington; Norman Amos, who died at the age of three weeks; George Carlton, who is at home and is running the farm for his father; and Mary Ethel, who also is at home and teaches in the public schools at Blaine.
Fraternally Mr. Palmer is a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles. He has taken a commendable interest in local public affairs and served for many years as a member of the board of supervisors at Semiahmoo, being chairman of the board during a part of that period. He was also for over twenty years a member of the school board. Mrs. Palmer served as township treasurer for fourteen years. This worthy couple, in spite of their years of hard and continuous toil, accompanied by their share of hard luck, have maintained a fine optimism and are today characterized by good cheer and hospitality that have rendered them extremely popular among their wide circle of acquaintances, among whom are many warm and devoted friends, who esteem them for their fine characters, their accomplishments and their interest in the welfare and prosperity of their community.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 233-234.
JAMES B. PERRY
No state in the Union can boast of a more heroic band of pioneers than Washington. In their courage, intelligence, capacity and loyalty to the right they have had no superiors. Many of them came from Scotland, and in their daring and heroism they have been equal to the Missouri and California argonauts. Their privations, hardships and earnest labors have resulted in establishing one of the foremost commonwealths in the Union and one which has still greater possibilities before it. A member of this worth band was James B. Perry, who has passed on to higher scenes of action but whose memory rests like a blessed benediction on all who knew him. Mr. Perry was a native of Kirkcudbright, Scotland, his birth occurring on the 11th of August, 1843, and he was a son of William and Elizabeth (Beck) Perry. His parents brought their family to the United States in 1857 and settled at Peoria, Illinois, where the father established a blacksmith shop, which he ran for several years. Later, with his sons, he bought a farm, on which they lived until 1876, when they came to Whatcom county and took up a homestead at Van Buren, three miles north of Everson, and here the parents spent the remaining years of their lives, the father dying in 1893 and the mother in 1899. Of the seven children who blessed their union, two are living: Mrs. Isabel Harper, of Portland, Oregon; and Andrew, of Cottage Grove, Oregon.
James B. Perry accompanied his parents on their emigration to the United States and remained with them until after they came to Washington. Soon after their arrival here, he "squatted" on a tract of land on the river near Nooksack, but, the land being unsurveyed, he gave it up two years later. He then took up a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres near Sumas, the land being partly swamp and the remainder covered with heavy timber and brush. He first built a small house of "shakes," and then began clearing the tract, a laborious task, but which was eventually accomplished. He developed there a valuable and fertile farm, on which he spent the remaining years of his life, his death occurring December 5, 1898. His life most happily illustrated what one may accomplish by faithful and persistent effort, even in the face of discouraging circumstances. He was a man of absolute honesty, persistent energy and sound judgment and was regarded as one of the community's best citizens. He was the architect of his own fortune, and on his record there appears no blemish, for he was true to his highest ideals. He was a faithful husband, a kind and loving father, a public-spirited citizen and a true and loyal friend, and he commanded to a marked degree the respect and confidence of the entire community.
On December 18, 1873, Mr. Perry was married to Miss Emily Fry, who was born and reared in Peoria, Illinois, a daughter of George H. and Elizabeth (Lee) Fry. Her parents were both natives of England but came to this country locating in Peoria. Both are now deceased, the father dying in Oregon and the mother in Illinois. They were the parents of three children: Phoebe E., Annabel and Emily, (Mrs. Perry), who is the only survivor. To Mr. and Mrs. Perry were born nine children, namely: James H., who lives near Sumas; Charles A., who also lives near Sumas; Mrs. Emily E. Bublitz, who lives in Tacoma, Washington; Ellis L., who lives in Oregon, is married and has six children - Carol, Elsie, James, Vail, Vernon and a baby; Mrs. Edith May Minaker, the first white girl to be born in Sumas, who lives in British Columbia, and is the mother of eight children - Ellis, Esten, Clarence, Charles, Lewis, Ira, Harold and a baby; Ira B., who lives at Sumas; Lester, of Seattle, Washington; Mrs. Esther E. Tyner, of Sumas; and Mrs. Anna V. Satterlee, of Laurel, Whatcom county, who is the mother of two children, Wilbert and Betty.
Mrs. Perry now lives with her three unmarried sons, James, Charles and Ira, on their eighty acre farm, two and a half miles east of Sumas. Despite her age she is comparatively active and is still able to keep house for her sons. She is a typical pioneer, and she tells many interesting incidents of the early days in this locality, in the settlement of which she bore her full share. She was the first white woman to settle in Sumas and was there six months before she saw another white woman. She assisted her husband in making the "shakes" of which their first home was made, and also made practically all of the furniture which went into that pioneer home. Indians and wild animals were numerous and sometimes their lives were anything but peaceful, because of the constant danger from both of these sources. Through all those early years she nobly seconded her husband's heroic efforts and uncomplainingly endured hardships and privations that would utterly discourage the average woman of today. She possesses splendid personal qualities, is kindly and hospitable and is held in the highest esteem by all who know her.
The farm on which Mrs. Perry and her sons live is a fine piece of land, fertile and well cultivated, and returns fine crops of hay and grain. They keep seventeen good grade Jersey cows and two pure bred cows, as well as a pure bred sire. The sons are practical farmers, adopting modern methods, and the success which they are achieving is well deserved. They are all well educated, being graduates of the Sumas high school, James also attending the State Normal School at Bellingham. He likewise taught school for four years, in the Columbia valley, Whatcom county. He and Charles are members of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association. Ira has taken an active part in local public affairs and has served for the past four years as township assessor. They are men of high character, industrious habits and fine public spirit and are highly respected throughout the community where they live.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 538-539.
F. STANLEY PIPER
Imagination is a priceless crystal in the vision of the man who achieves, and it is this quality that has brought F. Stanley Piper to the fore in business circles of Bellingham, which bears many notable evidences of his creative talent and skill as an architect. A native of England, he was born in Hull, Yorkshire, July 7, 1883, and his parents Edwin and Sarah Piper, are both deceased. His father was a government contractor and a business man of high standing.
F. Stanley Piper attended a private school at Plymouth, England, and when seventeen years of age was graduated from Blundell's College at Tiverton, Devonshire, completing a course in architecture. He returned to Plymouth and began his professional career with the firm of King & Lister, A. R. I. B. A., well known architects of that city, continuing in their employ for several years. In 1907 he made the voyage to the United States and after his arrival in this country journeyed to the state of Washington, securing a position in the office of a Seattle architect. In 1909 Mr. Piper established a business of his own, selecting Bellingham as the scene of his activities, and time has proven the wisdom of his choice, for in this locality he has found a splendid field for the expression of his art. Among the finest examples of his architectural skill are the home of the Herald, the Bellingham National Bank, the Northwest Hardware building, the Zobrist building, the Fine Arts and Donovan buildings, St. Luke's Hospital and St. Paul's church; the buildings which house the Bellingham Country Club, the Kulshan Club and the Washington Cooperative Egg & Poultry dealers Association, the Columbia school building, the Grand and Egyptian theaters of Bellingham, and the Anacortes public library. Mr. Piper remodeled the First National Bank building of this city and also designed the palatial residences of Mrs. Frank Deming, Robert Forbes, Dr. A. McRae Smith, Stuart Deming, James Scott, Daniel Campbell, Walter Henderson, H. B. Sewall and many other people of wealth. Although a scholar in his craft, thoroughly acquainted with the various styles and distinctive periods of architecture, he shows an unusual power of modifying and combining the qualities composing them and his work is the expression of a high and enduring art, manifesting splendid adaptation to specific needs.
In Boonville, Missouri, April 30, 1913, Mr. Piper was united in marriage to Miss Minnie H. Bell, who presides with charm and dignity over their beautiful home. Mr. Piper casts his ballot for the candidates of the republican party and his religious views are in accord with the teachings of the Episcopal church. He is a Kiwanian and along the line of recreation is connected with the Bellingham Yacht and Country Clubs. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects and also the Devon & Exeter Architectural Society of the Royal Institute of British Architects. Mr. Piper is a distinguished representative of his profession and Bellingham in indebted to him for much of its architectural adornment.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 206.
FRED SCHNEIDER
Among the honored citizens of Whatcom county who have passed on to higher scenes of action was Fred Schneider, a man who during his residence in this community merited and received the highest measure of respect and esteem. A man of honest motives, pure purposes and kindliest feeling toward all, he enjoyed a wide acquaintance, among whom were many loyal and devoted friends. His domestic and social relations were of the most pleasant character, and the fact that his surroundings were such as to make life enjoyable was due to his individual efforts, his affable and courteous treatment of others and his strict adherence to justice in all his dealings.
Mr. Schneider was born in Switzerland, December 8, 1860, and was a son of Benedict and Mary Schneider, also natives of the little mountain republic of Europe. When he was twelve years of age he accompanied his parents on their removed to the United States, the family settling in Knox county, Illinois. After living there a few years, they moved to Nodaway county, Missouri, where the father carried on farming.
In 1882 Fred Schneider came to Whatcom county and took up a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres in Delta township, four and a half miles north of Ferndale. He at once went to work clearing the land, which was covered with brush and stumps, and succeeded in placing one hundred acres under cultivation, living there until his death, which occurred October 5, 1919. His memory will long be revered by the people who knew him and admired him, for he was a man in whom all took a delight owing to his sterling honesty, his charitable nature and his readiness to help in the furtherance of any movement looking to the upbuilding of the community. He was one of the sterling pioneers of this locality to whom the community owes much, for he came here when the land was little more than a wilderness.
Mr. Schneider was married January 9, 1895, to Miss Margaret Grant, who was born in Virginia City, Nevada, a daughter of Michael and Margaret (Fay) Grant. Her parents were both of Irish birth, the father having been born in County Wicklow and the mother in County Armagh. Michael Grant went to Australia in his boyhood and remained there until 1885, when he came to the United States, locating in Whatcom county, Washington, where he homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land in Delta township. To the improvement and cultivation of this land he devoted himself indefatigably, developing a good farm, and there he spent the remainder of his days, his death occurring October 20, 1904. His wife passed away August 20, 1909. They were the parents of six children, namely: Mrs. Alice Molloy; Mrs. Annie Dewitt; Catherine, who died in infancy; Margaret, now Mrs. Schneider; Josephine and Patrick Michael. To Mr. and Mrs. Schneider were born seven children, namely: Mrs. Mary Faye Chichester, born January 13, 1896, has two daughters, Dorothy Marie, born March 30, 1922, and Mildred Arlene, born January 9, 1924; Michael E., born August 10, 1898, is married and has three children, Katherine May, born December 2, 1920, Doris May, born November 23, 1922, and Helene Marie, born March 13, 1925; Josephine Barbara, born August 17, 1899, became the wife of Mason Oxford, and they have a daughter, Alice May, born May 15, 1925; Mrs. Margaret Blanch McKenzie, born January 19, 1900, lives in Mount Vernon; James Leo, born July 2, 1901, is at home; Annetta, born January 6, 1908, is in high school; and Fred Grant, the youngest, was born November 25, 1912. All of the children were born on the present homestead and all have been given the advantage of good educations. Mrs. Schneider is continuing the operation of the farm, having one hundred and fifteen acres under cultivation, raising hay and grain. She keeps eighteen good grade Holstein cows and several head of young stock, as well as two horses for farm work. She is a lady of splendid tact and sound business judgment, is managing her affairs in an able and business like manner and has long enjoyed to a marked degree the admiration and respect of all who know her. He home has long been noted for its genial and hospitable spirit and she has a host of warm and devoted friends.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 806-809.
NELS PETER SORENSEN
Nels Peter Sorensen, state legislator, first president of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association, for several years president of the Farmers Mutual Telephone Company of Whatcom county and one of the county's leaders in agricultural development and other interests affecting the farmer, died at his home in Laurel on the 24th of December, 1925, when sixty-seven years of age. His birth occurred in Denmark on the 27th of April, 1858, his parents being Soren and Bertha (Fredricksen) Nelsen, who were also natives of that country. It was in 1875 that they emigrated to the United States and settled in Minnesota. The father acquired a farm of eighty acres, to the operation of which he devoted himself until his death, which occurred in 1895. The mother passed away in 1900. They became the parents of seven children: Mrs. Sophia Anderson, who is still a resident of Minnesota; Mrs. Margaret Nelson, also living in Minnesota; Nels Peter, of this review; Mrs. Mary Hanson, who likewise makes her home in Minnesota; and three who died in infancy.
Nels P. Sorensen was a youth of seventeen years when he came to this country with his parents. His education, begun in the public schools of Denmark, was continued in Minnesota. He remained at home until eighteen years of age, when he bought forty acres of land from the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, which he planted to wheat. The first crop was so bountiful that it paid for the land, and Mr. Sorensen made good improvements on the place and sold it a few years later. He then bought a homestead right to one hundred and sixty acres fro two hundred dollars, but fire destroyed his buildings and other improvement, and during the following two years he worked out at threshing, using his own team. Subsequently he bough eighty acres of land in Freeborn county, Minnesota, to which he added one hundred and twenty acres two years later. He improved the place and lived there for eleven years, when he sold it and bought an improved ranch comprising one hundred and sixty acres at Albert Lea, Minnesota. To this farm he later added one hundred and sixty acres and for a number of years devoted himself to its operation. He also bought a wood and coal business in Albert Lea, which he conducted for five years, and likewise owned a successful livery business. Mr. Sorensen was very comfortably established in Albert Lea, Minnesota, where his children were educated. He took an active part in public affairs and served as alderman-at-large in that city for several years, while for a period covering two decades he rendered effective service to the cause of education as a member of the school board. It was in the year 1907 that he sold his farm in the Gopher state and made his way westward to Washington, taking up his abode in Ferndale, township, Whatcom county, where he purchased one hundred and five acres of land, to which he later added twenty-three acres and then five acres, and finally a fraction of an acre. On the latter tract he built a fine home a few years ago and thereon spent the remainder of his life. He also had twenty-six and two-thirds acres along the river, which he purchased in 1923. Mr. Sorensen carried on general farming operations, cultivating about sixty acres of his land, raising hay and grain principally. He also did some dairy farming, keeping twenty pure-bred Holstein cows and a pure-bred bull. He was a good manager and an indomitable worker, doing thoroughly and well whatever he undertook, and was considered an up-to-date farmer in every respect. In addition to his other business interests he operated creameries at Laurel and Lynden for a time.
Mr. Sorensen was best known for his efforts in behalf of the dairymen of the county and of the state, but he was one of the principal builders of the Farmers telephone system and was at all times a tireless community worker, serving his own community and the county as a whole in various capacities. He was very active in the Laurel Grange, whose master he was when he died, and he was for years a director of the Meridian high school district. As a member of the state legislature in 1922 and 1923 he worked diligently to protect the dairy industry, which in this county has become the leading business, aside from the lumber industry. As president of the Dairymen's Association, of which he was one of the chief organizers, Mr. Sorensen overlooked no opportunity to promote it and to build up the dairy interests as a whole. He served it faithfully, at a personal sacrifice of time and his own interests, for years. He was a director in the association when he died. Mr. Sorensen was an active member of the Baptist church at Laurel and held membership in Rising Star Lodge No. 202, I. O. O. F., of Bellingham, and in the Modern Woodmen of America and the Maccabees at Albert Lea, Minnesota. He was a strong supporter of all institutions and improvements that tend to elevate the standing of a community, giving his earnest support to public education and to churches, while he was an ardent advocate of good roads. While at Albert Lea, Minnesota, he was one of the organizers of the Citizens National Bank, of which he remained a stockholder to the time of his death. In 1913 Mr. Sorensen built a fine, modern home, which is now occupied by his son, Leslie S., and the former lived in another very attractive and comfortable home which he built on another part of the ranch in 1923. He was universally regarded as a good business man, an excellent manager, possessing sound judgment and keen foresight, and because of his friendly manner, his business ability, his interest in public affairs and his high personal character, he stood deservedly high in the estimation of his fellow citizens.
The following is an excerpt from a review of his career which appeared in a local publication at the time of his passing: "Although Mr. Sorensen's death had been expected for several weeks, it has been a shock to his hundred of friends throughout Whatcom county, because of his long and close association with the county's progress, particularly in an agricultural way. It has been hard for them to realize that one who was so active and widely known had finally severed his connections with the county he had done so much to upbuild since his arrival here in 1907."
Below is part of an article which appeared in a local newspaper after the funeral services: "Auditorium, galleries and the Sunday school room at the First Baptist church were filled Sunday afternoon by seven hundred friends of Nels Peter Sorensen, of Laurel, former state legislator, for years head of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association and one of Whatcom county's principal community builders, for whom last rites were spoken by three Baptist ministers. It was one of the largest public funerals Bellingham has seen in years. All parts of the county and many interest were represented by those who came to pay their respects to one so long and generally admired * * * Beautiful tributes were paid Mr. Sorensen by the officiating minister, the Rev. T. M. Marshall, who was assisted by Mr. Storgaard and Mr. Baker. The keynote of his eulogy was that Mr. Sorensen invested his life in behalf of others. He was always a very active community worker, he asserted, and his community interests were many, including church, school, neighborhood, county and state * * * On Saturday the directors of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association, in which Mr. Sorensen held a directorship at the time of his death, adopted a resolution of regret over his passing and the sympathy for the widow, Mrs. Minnie Sorensen, and her children. The resolution described Mr. Sorensen as a splendid executive and stated that his death will be seriously felt by the association and the citizens of Whatcom county and the state at large. The resolution follows:
"Once more the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association mourns on account of the death of a fellow member - N. P. Sorensen. He departed this life on Christmas Eve, 1925. Mr. Sorensen was one of the pioneers among the farmers in the cooperative movement in this county and state. He was a director of this association from the time it was organized in 1919, and for several years was its president. He was a splendid executive and generously devoted his time and energy towards the upbuilding of the dairy interests of the state; and he did this not only for the Dairymen's Association, but for all movements for the benefit of the farmers. It is only a fitting tribute to the memory of Mr. Sorensen to say that he was a leader among us and that his passing will be seriously felt not only by our association, but by the citizens of this county and the state at large. We sincerely extend to Mr. Sorensen and their children our deepest sympathy in this hour of their bereavement."On July 4, 1883, Mr. Sorensen was married to Miss Minnie Ottesen, who was born in Denmark, the daughter of Chris and Mary Ottesen. He parents came to this country in 1872, settling in Minnesota, where they spent the remainder of their lives, the mother dying in 1895 and the father in 1911. Mr. and Mrs. Sorensen became the parents of eight children, namely: Robert L, of Laurel, who is married and has two children, Robert L., Jr., and Margaret; Mrs. Hannah Satterthwaite, of Lynden, who is the mother of a daughter, Hazel Alice; Bert N., of Laurel, an electrical engineer by profession, who is married and has a son, Roger; Captain Edgar P. Sorensen, also married, who was a captain in the Aviation Corps during the World war and is now attached to the flying field at San Antonio, Texas; Ernest M., who is married and lives at Chehalis, Washington, where he is manager of the plant of the Lewis-Pacific Dairy Association; Leslie S., of Laurel, a graduate of the State Agricultural College at Pullman, now living on the home farm, who is married and has a son, Philip Howard; Howard, who is married and is employed in a hardware store at Lynden; and Mrs. Hazel A. Minor, of Everett, Washington, who has a son, Hugh. All of the children are high school graduates, two graduated from the University of Washington at Seattle and one from Washington State College. Four of the sons served in the World war, three of them being commissioned officers.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 190,192, 195, 196.
WILLIAM K. SPEIRS
William K. Speirs, well known painter at Bellingham and proprietor of the oldest paint shop in the Puget Sound country, and the largest of its kind north of Seattle, is a native of the northwest country and is a member of one of the real pioneer families of this section. He was born in Portland, Oregon, February 11, 1887, and is a son of William and Sarah E. (Smith) Speirs, the latter born at Hillsboro, Oregon, a daughter of Anderson Smith, a Tennessean, who was a member of the historic band that successfully negotiated the old Oregon trail in 1843 and paved the way for the subsequent settlement of the Oregon country. Anderson Smith became the second white settler in the district now centering at Hillsboro and was one of the substantial factors in the development of that region. William Speirs, a native of Scotland, came to the coast in 1872 and was for four years a resident of San Francisco, where he followed his trade, that of painting. In 1876 he settled in Oregon and was for years a painter in Portland. In 1888, attracted by the possibilities then opening out in his line in the growing settlements here on the bay, he came to Whatcom county and opened a paint shop on the tide flats in the rear of the old courthouse. In 1889 he brought his family here and established his home in Bellingham. He later put up a somewhat more pretentious paint shop on Railroad avenue and after several years of occupancy of that place moved to a better place on Humboldt street, where he remained until 1914, when the present shop was established at the corner of Elk and Iron streets and there he continued in business until 1920, when he sold his interest in business to his son, William K., and retired after a continuous service as a painter to the community of more than thirty years.
William K. Speirs was but little more than a babe in arms when the family home was established in what now is the city of Bellingham and he grew up here. He was graduated from the Columbia school and from the local business college and from the days of his boyhood has been interested in painting, having early become an expert in that line under the careful direction of his father. He continued with his father until the latter's retirement in 1920 and since then has been carrying on the business alone, giving his chief attention to automobile painting and to his continuing and long established practice of sign painting, and is doing well.
On September 7, 1909, in Bellingham, Mr. Speirs was united in marriage to Miss Christa McDonald and to this union six children have been born, Hazel, Dawn, William (III), Bettie, John (deceased) and Ross. Mr. and Mrs. Speirs are republicans and have ever taken active interest in local civic affairs. Mr. Speirs is a member of the Bellingham Chamber of Commerce and of the Kiwanis Club, is a Scottish Rite Mason and is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 750-751.
ARTHUR W. THORNTON, M. D.
The name of Dr. A. W. Thornton is inscribed on Whatcom county's roll of fame, for his was an extraordinary service to the people of this district and the entire state. A man of advanced scientific attainments, endowed with superior mentality, he was destined to lead in everything he undertook and won renown because of his achievements in the field of agriculture, also gaining distinction in the medical profession. While other men were planning he was executing, and his very personality was an inspiration to progress.
A native of Ireland, Dr. Thornton was born April 6, 1833, and at the age of eighteen was graduated from Trinity College of Dublin. He had the benefit of instruction under the great oculist, Sir William Wilde, father of Oscar Wilde, the noted writer, and after completing his medical studies acted as surgeon on one of the Cunard steamers plying between Liverpool, England, and New York city. Subsequently Dr. Thornton built and operated a hospital in Muswellbrook, Australia, spending several years in that country. He next came to the United States, settling in California in 1867, and was one of the pioneer physicians of that state. In 1882 he came to Whatcom, Washington, and opened a drug store, also homesteading a quarter section of land near Ferndale. He was successful in his business venture and also established a large practice. A surgeon of marked kill, he drew his patients from a wide area, and in the early days his work was most arduous, but he never failed to respond to the call of duty, having great sympathy for those in affliction and distress. Owing to deafness he was obliged to withdraw from the profession in later life and thereafter devoted his attention to agricultural pursuits.
Possessing an insatiable thirst for knowledge, Dr. Thornton delved deeply into the realms of science and utilized his discoveries for the benefit of mankind. With prophetic vision, he was the first to glimpse the great possibilities of the dairy industry, and he introduced many new grasses, which have since been produced in abundance in this region. He laid the foundation of this great industry, which has brought prosperity to hundreds of agriculturists throughout the county, also proving that flax could be grown to advantage in this region. An expert horticulturist, Dr. Thornton introduced the first orchards in this section of the country and helped give to the residents of California the eucalyptus tree, in cooperation with the University of California horticultural department. He devised a method of arresting the progress of the sheep scab which was destroying the flocks of the Golden state, and brought to Australia the pepper trees of California.
In 1855 Dr. Thornton was married, in Australia, to Miss Annette Callahan, of Dublin, Ireland, and they became the parents of eleven children. Mrs. Thornton passed away in 1907, and her husband's demise occurred in October, 1924, when he was in the ninety-second year of his age. He was a faithful member of the Church of England and a republican in his political convictions. His was a many-sided forceful personality, and men learned to rely upon him with the confidence reposed in those who possess great wisdom and that high purpose which is the handmaiden of wisdom in accomplishing results of lasting value. His heart was filled with human sympathy and he was universally beloved.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 553-554.
Note: An article published in the American Reveille, January 3, 1909 gives the following additional information. Dr. Thornton was born in Carbow, Ireland; he lived in New Zealand for 2 years; he worked with USDA in testing adaptability of growing sugar beets in Whatcom county; he spent a great deal of time developing dwarf fruit trees to grow in the county.
HENRY H. VAN DER YACHT
There could be no more comprehensive history written of a county or a community and its people than that which deals with the life work of those who, by their own endeavor and indomitable energy, have placed themselves where they well deserve the title of "progressive," and in the following lines will be found the life record of one who has made of his obstacles stepping stones to higher things. At the same time that he was winning his way in the material affairs of life, he also gained a high reputation for uprightness and honor. Henry H. Van der Yacht, one of the leading farmers and poultrymen of Delta township, is a native of Holland, where he was born on the 9th of November, 1877, a son of Harry and Gertrude Van der Yacht. They also were natives of the Netherlands, and brought their family to the United States locating in Michigan, where the father was engaged in farming until 1907, when he sold his land and came to Whatcom county, locating on a small farm which he bought near Lynden. There he spent his remaining years, dying in 1919, his wife passing away in 1913. They were the parents of ten children, Charles, Ida, Henry H., John, James, Andrew, Albert, Annie, Joseph, deceased, and Sarah, deceased.
Henry H. Van der Yacht was educated in the public schools of Michigan, and remained at home with his parents until his marriage, when [where] he was employed at farm work until coming to Washington in 1907, after which he worked on neighboring farms for two years and in 1909 rented one hundred and twenty acres of land in Delta township, the Henry Hoffman homestead, located four miles northwest of Lynden. Fifteen acres of the place was cleared and he cleared sixty acres more, on which he carried on farming until 1920, when he bought eighty acres of the place. Here he has achieved a pronounced success and gained an enviable reputation as an enterprising and energetic farmer. During the past three years he has built three fine chicken houses, in which he cares for twelve hundred laying hens. He also keeps eighteen good grade Guernsey cows and eight head of young stock and two horses for general farm work. His present prosperity has been attained entirely through his own indefatigable efforts and the enviable position which he holds among his fellow citizens has been honestly gained. He is a good business man, exercising sound judgment in all of his affairs, and devoting himself closely to the work in hand. He is a member of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association and the Whatcom County Poultry Association and he and his wife are deeply interested in everything pertaining to the prosperity and welfare of their community, Mrs. Van der Yacht being a member of the board of trustees of the Sunshine school.
On January 8, 1902, Mr. Van der Yacht was married to Miss Ila Boice, who was born and reared in Michigan, the daughter of Clinton and Evelyn Boice, both of whom also were natives of that state, where her father is a successful farmer. Her mother died in 1906. They were the parents of six children, Floyd, Lyman (deceased), Ila, Carl, Henry and Gertrude. To Mr. and Mrs. Van der Yacht have been born seven children: Mrs. Evelyn Perkins, of Seattle; Gertrude, deceased; Harry, a graduate of the Lynden high school; Doyle, now a student in that school; Edna; Vivian; and Dale. Genial and friendly, kindly and generous, interested in the welfare of his fellow citizens, the subject has well merited the confidence and good will which he enjoys throughout the community where he lives.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 795.
CHARLES S. WALLACE, JR.
Charles W. Wallace, Jr., is a member of one of Bellingham's prominent families and a representative of the younger generation of business men whose enterprise and ability promise so much for the development of the city. He was born near Seattle, Washington, in 1897 and is a son of Charles S. and Carrie B. Wallace, both natives of Newcastle, Pennsylvania. They arrived at Seattle in 1896 and for a time the father was engaged in the steel business at Edmonds, Washington. He came to Bellingham about 1898 and turned his attention to the fishing industry, with which he was connected until 1914, when he founded the powder business now controlled by his son. He was recognized as one of the city's foremost business men and is now living retired at Phoenix, Arizona.
After his graduation from the Bellingham high school the junior Mr. Wallace became a student at the University of Washington, which he attended for two years. On completing his education he entered his father's business, which was incorporated in 1914 under the name of the Washington Powder Company, and since 1918 has been president of the firm. The other officers are C. B. Wallace, vice president; and R. E. Wallace, secretary and treasurer. They are jobbers and retailers in explosives and are distributors of the Du Pont products in Whatcom, Skagit and San Juan counties. They have two salesmen and the warehouse is situated on Deming road. Whatcom county uses over thirty carloads of powder per year and more that half of this amount is purchased from the Washington Powder Company, which is transacting a business of extensive proportions. The house has established enviable trade connection and the wisdom of the policy followed by its executive head is indicated by the rapid expansion of the business, which is maintained at a high standard of efficiency. Mr. Wallace closely adheres to the principles of honor and integrity upon which it was founded, and he has inherited his father's business acumen and administrative power.
In 1920 Mr. Wallace married Miss May C. Clark, of Ferndale, and to this union has been born a son, Charles S. Wallace (III), aged three years. Mr. Wallace is identified with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and his political views are in accord with the tenets of the republican party. Alert, energetic and forceful, he typifies the progressive spirit of the west and possesses many admirable traits of character, as his fellow citizens attest.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, p. 676.
LEONARD W. WATERS
Since his arrival in Whatcom county, over thirty-five years ago, L. W. Waters has been a witness of very important changes in this locality, his career here forming a link between the pioneer period and the latter-day progress and prosperity of the county. Therefore, a history of his locality would not be complete without due reference to the useful and successful life he has lived and the part he has played in the development of this region. Mr. Waters was born in Nebraska on the 20th of April, 1875, and is a son of J. N. and Sarah (Dew) Waters, the father a native of New York state and the mother of Illinois. J. N. Waters went to Nebraska about 1870 and there followed his trade, that of a blacksmith, and also engaged in farming, having bought a tract of good land. In 1889 he sold his interests in that locality and came to Nooksack, Whatcom county, buying seven acres of land within the city limits. The tract was covered with stumps and undergrowth, but he vigorously set to work and in the course of time created a fine place, building one of the finest houses in the community and also a commodious barn. He and his wife spent their remaining years on this comfortable homestead, the father dying in January, 1907, and the mother passing away in April, 1916. To them were born the following children: Mrs. Belle Roland; Mrs. Kate Foster, deceased; L. W. Waters; Mrs. Nellie Hicks, who lives in Vancouver, British Columbia; Jacob, who lives in Seattle, Washington; Fred, deceased, and Mrs. Josephine Hamilton, of Vancouver.
L. W. Waters attended the public schools near his home in Nebraska and completed his studies in the old log school house at Nooksack. He came to Whatcom county in 1891, two years after the arrival of his father, and after leaving school went to work in the logging camps, doing contract work, which business he followed until about 1901. Shortly before that he had purchased thirty acres adjoining the townsite of Nooksack, and he now applied himself to the task of removing the stumps, logs and brush which covered the tract. He accomplished this and built a small house on the place, later adding to it. In 1908 he built a fine barn, which is still doing good service. The land is practically all cleared and Mr. Waters raises excellent crops of hay, grain and peas, having likewise a vegetable garden. He keeps five good cows as well. Mr. Waters is now also the owner of his father's old home place, adjoining his own, and likewise operates that.
On June 16, 1901, Mr. Waters was married to Miss Pearl Schenck, who was born near Sacramento, California, a daughter of William and Lavina (Lear) Von Schenck, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Missouri. The father made the long overland trip during the great gold rush and followed mining in California for a number of years. In 1880 he came to King county, Washington, and bought one hundred and sixty acres of railroad land, which he farmed until 1898, when he sold it and came to Nooksack, Whatcom county. Here he bought twenty acres of raw land, which he cleared and developed into a good farm, and there he resided until his death, which occurred in 1915. His wife died in 1912. They were the parents of four children, namely: Mrs. Minnie Lancaster, who lives in King county, Washington; Mrs. Musetta Hayes, also of King county; Ida, who died in infancy, and Pearl, Mrs. Waters. Mr. and Mrs. Waters are the parents of two children: Mrs. Vivian Lavina Francisco, born April 1, 1902, who is the mother of a son, Richard Lee, born August 23, 1923, and Wilbur L., born September 9, 1907, who remains at home. Mr. Waters has long held a high place in his community because of the deep and intelligent interest he has ever manifested in all the relates to its welfare and prosperity. He is active in his support of the schools and of good roads and is progressive in the best sense of the term. He comes of good ancestral stock and in his life has exemplified the essential qualifications of good citizenship. One of his maternal uncles, Jacob Dew, served one term as governor of Nebraska.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 849-850.
SOLOMON A. WEIDE
Among the active and enterprising farmers of Whatcom county stands S. A. Weide, of the Nooksack valley, where he owns and operates one of the splendid farms of that fertile valley. His record is one of hard and indefatigable industry, wisely directed, and his efforts have been rewarded with a fine measure of prosperity, so that he is now able to take things more leisurely than in former years. Mr. Weide is a native of Johnson county, Missouri, born on the 29th of July 1853, and is a son of John and Missouri (Kinsey) Weide, the latter of whom was a native of Virginia. The father was born and reared in Prussia, Germany, whence he came to the United States in 1843, settling in Missouri, and he was a pioneer in his section of the state, where the population was composed principally of Indians. He was a cabinetmaker by trade and followed that vocation for a time, later taking up farming. He remained a resident of Missouri until within a few years of his demise, moving to Virginia, where his death occurred about 1905. His wife died there in 1903. Of the eight children born to them, the following are living: Mrs. Nannie M. Roberts, who still resides in Missouri; S. A., the subject of this sketch; Jonathan, who lives in Kansas City, Missouri; and Thomas E., of New Castle, Pennsylvania.
S. A. Weide is indebted to the public schools of his native state for his educational training. He remained at home until his marriage, when he settled down to farming on his own account, owning one hundred and twenty acres of land in Johnson county. He carried on farming operations there until 1889, when he sold his place and came to Washington. He first located on Orcas island, where he bought forty acres of land, which he cultivated for six years, and then went to Bellingham, where he was engaged in teaming until 1899. He then came to the Nooksack valley and bought forty-five acres of land, to which he later added an adjoining tract, the farm being located three miles west of Sumas. The land was covered with timber and no roads had yet been opened up in that locality. He applied himself vigorously to the clearing of his land, built a small house, and in the course of time developed a splendid farm home. He now has sixty acres cleared and producing abundant crops. He and his son John own Sixty-five acres between them, and they are numbered among the successful and prosperous farmers of the locality. The principle field crops are hay and grain, with some sugar beets. Mr. Weide gives considerable attention to dairying, keeping eighteen good grade cows, from which he derives a comfortable income. The first house was replaced in 1910 by a new and better one, and that in turn by a modern and attractive home in 1923. The barn and silo were built in 1918, enough corn being raised on the farm for ensilage purposes.
In March, 1880, Mr. Weide was married to Miss Lillie E. Gibbs, who was born and reared in Michigan, a daughter of George and Lucina Comstock (West) Gibbs, the former a native of England and the latter of Maine. Mr. Gibbs was a farmer in Missouri and later moved to Iowa, where he followed the same occupation until 1886, when he came to Washington, locating on Orcas island, San Juan county. He was the first man to cultivate bulbs in the state of Washington. Both he and his wife are now deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Weide have been born four children, namely: George W., born February 27, 1881, who is married and has four children; Mrs. Blanche Harkness, who is the mother of four children - George, Bonnie D., Mary and Jimmy; John A., born in October, 1891, who is married and has a daughter; and Mrs. Mable L. King, who lives in Sumas. Mr. Weide is a member of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association and the Whatcom County Potato Growers Association. He is a strong advocate of improved roads and good schools and gives his support to all movements for the betterment of the general welfare. He is a genial and friendly man, generous in his giving to worthy objects, and has long held a high place in the confidence and esteem of all who have come in contact with him.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 482-483.
JOHN A. WEST
John A. West, one of the valuable citizens whom Canada has furnished to the United States, was long identified with the drug trade in various parts of the country but is now devoting his attention to agricultural pursuits, operating a fine ranch in the vicinity of Deming, Whatcom county. He was born August 27, 1854, in Chatham, Ontario, and his parents were Edmund W. and Christie (Campbell) West, the latter also a native of that province. Alexander Campbell, the maternal grandfather, was a native of scotland, and Henry West, the grandfather in the paternal line, settled in Ontario about 1820, casting in his lot with the pioneer agriculturists of that region. His son, Edmund W. West, was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and also followed the occupation of farming as a life work. In May, 1855, he migrated to Michigan and purchased land in Ionia county, where he spent his remaining years.
John A. West was reared on his father's farm and attended the public schools of Michigan. He was subsequently a student at the Detroit Medical College for a year, completed a three years' course in the California College of Medicine and Surgery and was graduated from the National Optical College at St. Louis, Missouri. He practiced for a few years in Detroit, Michigan, and for a considerable period was connected with the drug trade of that city, later engaging in pharmaceutical work at New Buffalo, Michigan. He was next a traveling salesman, representing one of the well known drug houses of the country, and was subsequently a resident of Crawford county, Arkansas. In 1901 Mr. West came to Deming, Washington, and for ten years was in the employ of Orr Brothers, having charge of their drug department. While acting in that capacity he purchased a tract of thirty-one acres adjoining the town, and in 1917 he established his home on this land, which he has since cultivated. He raises many varieties of fine fruit and is also engaged in the poultry business. His work is carefully planned and systematically performed, and he has made many improvements on the place, receiving good returns from his efficiently directed labors.
In 1900 Mr. West married Miss Mary Boren, a native of Mississippi, and two children were born to them. Edmund B., the elder, is a traveling salesman and makes his home in Deming. Christina is the wife of John H. Sherrin, of Deming, who is filling the position of state fire warden, and they have two children. Mr. West votes the democratic ticket, and he is serving as justice of the peace, while for fifteen years he has been a notary public. Along fraternal lines he is identified with the woodmen of the World. His life has been well spent, devoted to useful lines of activity, and although he has passed the Psalmist's allotted span of three score years and ten, he is still vigorous in mind and body, deriving true happiness and contentment from the performance of his daily tasks. He is keenly interested in everything that touches Deming's welfare and advancement, and his fellow townsmen speak of him in terms of high regard.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 40-41.
PETER ZENDER
Among the men of foreign nationality who have profited by the countless opportunities offered by the Pacific northwest is numbered Peter Zender, a pioneer of Whatcom county and one of the progressive agriculturists of Deming township. A native of Germany, he was born May 16, 1860, and his education was received in the fatherland. In 1884, when a young man of twenty-four, he came to the United States in the hope of bettering his fortune, and first located in Michigan. At the end of two months he went to Wisconsin, where he lived for four years, and then spent a year in Minnesota. In 1889 he came to Whatcom county and took up a homestead in Columbia township, casting in his lot with its early settlers. His claim was situated in the midst of a forest, in which were deer, bears, and many other kinds of game. He was obliged to carry his supplies on his back for a distance of thirty miles, traversing a narrow trial, and it was two years before he was able to afford the luxury of a cow. After arduous effort he succeeded in clearing his place and preparing the land for the sowing of seed. His well cultivated fields yielded good harvests, and he continued to operate the ranch until 1906, when he sold the property. In 1908 he bought a tract of ninety-five acres in Deming township, and a portion of the land lies in Columbia township. He has the best home and barns in this section of the county and take justifiable pride in his farm, which is supplied with many modern improvements. He specializes in dairying and stock raising and his work is carefully planned and systematically conducted.
In 1888 Mr. Zender was united in marriage to Miss Anna Mary Meyer, also a native of Germany, and five children were born to them, namely: Christina, the wife of Thomas Burke, a well known farmer of this locality; Ida, deceased; Antone, at home; Jacob, who operates a portion of the homestead and has a wife and three children; and Henry, who is also cultivating a part of his father's ranch and has a wife and two children. Mr. Zender casts his ballot for the candidates of the republican party and served for six years on the school board. Honest, industrious and public-spirited, he has exerted a strong influence for good in his district, and an exemplary life has won for him the unqualified esteem and confidence of his fellowmen.
History of Whatcom County, Volume II, by Lottie Roeder Roth, 1926, pps. 891-892.