Chapter C: R. Rogg, who is engaged in the furniture and undertaking business in (6)

At a period when the government owned most of the land in Washington and the work of progress and development seemed scarcely begun, J. U. Strahm and his wife came to Walla Walla county and cast in their lot with its pioneer settlers. They here underwent many of the hardships and privations incident to establishing a home on the frontier, but with resolute spirit they met all these and in the course of years came to enjoy the comforts of modern day civilization. Mr. Strahm was born in Switzerland, July 30, 1827, and was but six years of age when brought to America by his parents, the family home being established in Ohio. They afterward removed to Iowa and in 1849 J. U. Strahm removed to California, attracted by the discovery of gold on the Pacific coast. There he remained for three years, after which he returned to Missouri, where in 1864 he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Jane Farley, a daughter of Harvey and Elizabeth (Bruett) Farley, the former a native of Ohio, while the latter was born in Indiana. The father was killed while serving as a soldier in the Civil war and the mother afterward passed away in Tennessee.

Following their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Strahm resolved to try their fortune in the far west and made their way across the country to Walla Walla county, where he took up a homestead near Dixie. There was little to indicate the wonderful changes which were still to occur as the white settlers penetrated into this region and reclaimed its rich resources for the purposes of civilization. The greater part of the land was still unclaimed and uncultivated and the most farsighted could scarcely have dreamed of what the future held in store for this rich district. Mr. Strahm became actively identified with its farming interests and bent his energies to the development of his place, bringing his fields under a high state of cultivation and therefore annually gathering rich harvests.

To Mr. and Mrs. Strahm were born fourteen children, eleven of whom are now living: Ann J., the widow of John Byrd; William H., who is deceased; Elizabeth, the wife of John Glynn; Rosa D., the wife of Tom Hastings; Mary E., the wife of Eldon Buroker; Nora J., the wife of Joel Chitwood; John E.; Nannie V., who is the wife of Alfred Brown; Lucretia R., the wife of Alvin McElvain; Viola, the wife of Fred Wells; Edna, at home; Alma B., the wife of Jene Green; and two who are deceased.

The death of Mr. Strahm occurred February 11, 1895, at which time his remains were interred in the Dixie cemetery. He had been a devoted husband and father and had put forth every possible effort to aid in promoting the welfare and happiness of his family. His widow still occupies the old homestead, having eighty acres in her farm near Dixie, and the careful development and improvement of the property insures to her a substantial annual income.

CHARLES C. LONEY.

Prominent among the real estate men of Walla Walla is Charles C. Loney of the firm of Loney, Ginn & Kerrick. He was born in Toronto, Canada, on the 7th of June, 1876, a son of Charles and Charlotte (Cole) Loney, both of whom were natives of Belfast, Ireland. They came to Canada in childhood with their respective parents and were there reared to manhood and womanhood. In 1883 they came to the United States, arriving in Walla Walla on the 19th of August of that year. Here the father engaged in farming and became one of the leading agriculturists of Walla Walla county, having extensive interests. He acquired some two thousand acres of valuable land near the city and for a long period gave personal supervision to the further development and improvement of his farm. For several years prior to his death, however, he lived retired from active work, turning his farms over to his sons. He then took up his abode in the city and throughout his remaining days enjoyed a well earned rest. He died in 1907, having for a considerable period survived his wife, who passed away in 1902. Both were consistent members of the Baptist church and were earnest Christian people whose well spent lives are worthy of emulation.

Charles C. Loney was educated in the Walla Walla high school, from which he was graduated with the class of 1896. Following the completion of his studies he cooperated with his father in the management and operation of his extensive farming interests until the father's retirement in 1901, at which time Charles C. Loney took charge of the farm, continuing its further cultivation and improvement until 1911. In the meantime he had purchased the property of his father and in the year designated he sold the home place and became a resident of Walla Walla, where he opened a real estate and loan office. He has since been prominently identified with that business and places many loans, while at the same time he negotiates many important realty transfers. Since 1911 he has purchased one hundred acres of land in Umatilla county, Oregon, and eight hundred acres in Columbia county, Washington. This property he still owns and rents. He also has three hundred and thirty acres on Dry creek, near Walla Walla, on which he is engaged in breeding and raising thoroughbred Percheron horses. He thus ranks with the leading agriculturists and stock raisers of this section of the state, while at the same time he has won for himself a most creditable position as a real estate dealer.

On the 12th of January, 1917, Mr. Loney was united in marriage to Miss Hazel Velma Wright, of Walla Walla, a daughter of Robert Wright, who is a native of Umatilla county, Oregon, and for many years has been a prominent farmer of Walla Walla county.

Mr. Loney holds membership in Enterprise Lodge, No. 2, I. O. O. F., and also in Walla Walla Encampment, No. 3. He votes with the republican party and is interested in all matters of progressive citizenship, cooperating in every plan and measure which he deems of value and benefit to the community. The greater part of his life has been spent in this section of the state and he has become imbued with the spirit of western enterprise that has led to the rapid and substantial upbuilding of this section of the state. This spirit has been the dominant factor in the attainment of his own success, a success that now places him with the men of affluence in his adopted county.

HON. OLIVER T. CORNWELL.

Hon. Oliver T. Cornwell is a dominant factor in the agricultural, commercial and financial circles of Walla Walla and the Inland Empire and has also exerted a marked influence over public thought and action as a member of the state senate, in which he is now representing the eleventh senatorial district. It was Mr. Cornwell who in large measure introduced the commission form of government here and in all his public work he has been actuated by a spirit of progress, improvement and of marked devotion to the general good. He is indeed prominent as a man whose constantly expanding powers have taken him from humble surroundings to the field of large enterprises and continually broadening opportunities. Bringing to bear a clear understanding that readily solves complex problems, he has been able to unite diverse interests into a harmonious whole with results that indicate his keen sagacity and unfaltering enterprise.

Mr. Cornwell is a native son of Walla Walla county, his birth having occurred upon a farm six miles north of the city of Walla Walla on the 22nd of March, 1863. His father, James Madison Cornwell, became one of the Walla Walla pioneers of 1861 and is mentioned elsewhere in this work. The son was reared on the old homestead with the usual experiences of the farm bred boy and acquired his early education in the district schools, after which he became a student in Whitman College. When nineteen years of age he assumed the operation of the home place and continued to cultivate its fields for three years as a renter. After reaching his majority he went up into the Palouse country, in Whitman county, and there engaged in the raising of cattle and horses. He remained in Whitman county for eight years, after which he returned to Walla Walla and in company with H. S. Stott founded the drug house of Stott & Cornwell, with which he was identified for three years. He then resumed active connection with farming and stock raising interests and also began buying and shipping cattle, with which business he has since been closely associated, being one of the most prominent representatives of agricultural interests in this section of the state. He now owns fourteen hundred acres of wheat land in Walla Walla county and he also has heavy holdings in Alberta, Canada. Mr. Cornwell is a man of forcefulness and resourcefulness and has by no means limited his activities and energies to a single line. In fact, as extensive as are his agricultural activities, he has also made for himself a notable place in commercial and financial circles. About 1903 he was one of the dominant factors in the organization of the Walla Walla County Lumber Company, of which he became president, and in that capacity he has since continued, his intelligent direction of the affairs of the company being one of the most potent elements in his growing and continued success. He was also one of the organizers of the Peoples State Bank of Walla Walla and was made a member of its board of directors, which position he has since filled. He has also been identified with interests of a public and semi-public character that have had much to do with promoting general progress. He served for a number of years as president of the Farmers Union and while acting in that capacity the Walla Walla Farmers' Agency was organized, of which Mr. Cornwell was elected president, and reelection has continued him in that position to the present time.

On the 19th of August, 1888, occurred the marriage of Mr. Cornwell and Miss Ella Crowell, of Walla Walla, a daughter of Henry A. and Mary A. (Thurman) Crowell, who came to Walla Walla from Iowa in 1874. The mother was a niece of Allen G. Thurman, the great democratic leader, who was long known as "the Old Roman." To Mr. and Mrs. Cornwell have been born three children, Lessie L., Ethel L. and Olive E.

Mr. Cornwell holds membership with the Masonic fraternity, belonging to Blue Mountain Lodge, No. 7, F. & A. M.; to Walla Walla Chapter, No. 1, R. A. M.; to Walla Walla Commandery, No. 2, K. T.; to Oriental Consistory, No. 1, A. & A. S. R, of Spokane; and to El Katif Temple; A. A. O. N. M. S., also of Spokane. He likewise has membership with Washington Lodge, No. 19, I. O. O. F., and with the Walla Walla Encampment of that order.

His chief activity aside from business has been as a supporter of the republican party and a recognized leader in its ranks. The first position to which he was called was that of city councilman of Walla Walla in 1897. In 1900 he was chosen to represent his district in the Washington state senate, where he served for four years with honor and ability. In the November election of 1915 he was again chosen a member of the state senate and during his present term has been called upon for much important committee service. He is now a member of the committees on municipal corporations, on education, on industrial insurance, on irrigation and arid lands, public utilities, roads and bridges, rules and joint rules, banks and banking. He has done much to shape the policy of his party and for eight years was chairman of the republican county central committee and has been a member of the state central committee. It was Mr. Cornwell who organized and successfully carried through the campaign establishing the commission form of government in Walla Walla. His career has at all times reflected credit and honor upon the people that have honored him. The universality of his friendships interprets for us his intellectual hospitality and the breadth of his sympathy, for nothing is foreign to him that concerns his fellows. Anyone meeting Mr. Cornwell face to face would know at once that he is an individual embodying all the elements of what in this country we term a "square" man--one in whom to have confidence, a dependable man in any relation and any emergency. His quietude of deportment, his easy dignity, his frankness and cordiality of address, with the total absence of anything sinister or anything to conceal, foretoken a man who is ready to meet any obligation of life with the confidence and courage that come of conscious personal ability, the right conception of things and an habitual regard for what is best in the exercise of human activities.

SAMUEL LOVE GILBREATH.

Samuel Love Gilbreath, an honored pioneer of Columbia county, Washington, became a resident of Old Walla Walla county when there were few white settlers within its limits, and took up a homestead three miles from the city of Dayton, although it was a number of years later that the town was laid out. He was a successful farmer, loyal friend and a public-spirited citizen, and his demise was the occasion of sincere regret. He was born in McMinn county, Tennessee, March 25, 1825, and was of Scotch descent. He was a representative of one of the old families of the south, being a grandson of Archibald Rowan, the third governor of Tennessee. His education was that afforded by the common schools and he remained in his native state until he became of age. He then determined to try his fortune in the far west and, crossing the plains, settled in Yamhill county, Oregon. For a number of years he farmed there and then went into the cattle business, which occupied his attention until 1855, when the Cayuse Indian war broke out. He enlisted for six months' service in the First Oregon Mounted Cavalry Regiment, which did good work in putting down the uprising both in Oregon and Washington. He was later for six months assistant wagon master and one of his duties was the gruesome task of hauling the bodies of the dead back to The Dalles, from which point they were shipped to relatives in the Willamette valley.

Following his marriage in 1859 Mr. Gilbreath drove a herd of cattle to Old Walla Walla county, Washington. At that time the city of Walla Walla comprised but a very few buildings and the settlers in the county were few and far between. He took up a homestead three miles southwest of the present city of Dayton and built a log cabin with puncheon floors, which remained the family home for a number of years. There were many hardships to be endured in those early days but the lot of the pioneer was lightened by the spirit of hospitality and cooperation which prevailed. Travelers were welcomed at every log cabin and the service of each settler was at the disposal of the others. Mr. Gilbreath worked hard and gave careful attention to his business affairs and as time passed his resources increased. The first crude buildings upon his farm were at length replaced by substantial and commodious structures and the place was brought to a high state of development. At the time of his death he owned two hundred acres of fine orchard and alfalfa land, of which his widow has since sold one hundred and twenty acres, still owning eighty acres, which is valued at a high price per acre.

Mr. Gilbreath was married in 1859, in Oregon, to Miss Margaret H. Fanning, of Albany, and they became the parents of thirteen children, ten of whom survive, namely: Nancy E., a teacher; Mary, the wife of J. O. Mattoon; Lee, a resident of Columbia county; Joseph, a resident of Seattle; Susie, the wife of E. E. Martin; Rose, who is teaching in Seattle; Charles, a resident of Walla Walla; Grace, the wife of T. O. Morrison; James, an instructor in the University of Washington; and Fred, a graduate of West Point and a captain in the United States army, now with the American embassy in London.

Mr. Gilbreath was a prominent factor in public affairs in the early days and was chosen the first county commissioner of Old Walla Walla county and the first sheriff of Columbia county. He was a firm believer in the value of higher education and sent several of his children to college. In many ways his influence was felt in the advancement of his community, and personally he was held in the highest esteem because of his unswerving integrity and his great capacity for friendship. His wife had the distinction of being the first white woman to take up her residence in the four counties comprised within Old Walla Walla county, and she, too, proved her courage and perseverance in performing cheerfully and efficiently the many and arduous duties that fell to the lot of the pioneer wife and mother.

CHRIS H. ROMMEL.

Chris H. Rommel is residing on section 35, township 14 north, range 41 east, Garfield county, and is operating one thousand acres of land, being therefore entitled to rank among the extensive farmers of Garfield county. He grew to manhood in Manchester, Michigan, and is indebted for his education to its public schools. When nineteen years of age he started out in life for himself and in 1893 came to Garfield county, Washington. For some years he rented a farm, during which time he carefully saved his money with the purpose of buying land as soon as possible. At length he purchased his present home farm and has extended its boundaries until he now owns one thousand acres.

Mr. Rommel was married in 1893 to Miss Anna Smith, a native of California, and they have three children: Fred C., a high school graduate; Mary P., who is also a high school graduate and is now teaching; and Ena M.

THOMAS A. RUSSEL.

Thomas A. Russel, deceased, was for a number of years actively engaged in farming on section 3, township 6 north, range 35 east, Walla Walla county, and met with gratifying success. He was born in Ohio, September 26, 1831, and there grew to manhood and received his education. In 1849 he accompanied his father John Russel, to California, crossing the great unsettled plains of the west by team, a long, tedious and dangerous journey, and again in 1852 he came to the coast by the overland route, but each time he returned to Ohio, where he maintained his residence until 1864. In that year he went with his bride by horse team to the Sacramento valley of California, where he lived for three years, during which time he taught school. They then removed to Bowling Green, Missouri, and for twenty-one years he was a resident of that state. During that time he engaged in the practice of law, successfully appearing in most of the more important trials of his district. In 1888, however, he removed with his family to Walla Walla county, Washington and the remainder of his life was devoted to agricultural pursuits.

Mr. Russel was married in 1864 in Ohio to Miss Mary C. Willman, also a native of that state. To their union were born ten children: John B. and William, both of whom are deceased; Frank; Thomas and Anna, who have passed away; Phoebe L.; Lincoln and Grant, twins, and Leslie, the two latter being deceased; and Joseph, who resides in Canada.

Many interesting experiences came to Mr. Russel in his long life, and from the time he accompanied his father to the west in 1849 until his death he was much interested in this section of the country, even while still residing in the east or middle west. He found great pleasure in watching the process of development that has made the west a rival of the east in all that pertains to the highest civilization, and his influence was invariably cast on the side of progress. He passed away in January, 1901, and was laid to rest in the Mountain View cemetery.

HON. F. M. WEATHERFORD.

Hon. F. M. Weatherford is now living practically retired in Dayton but for many years was actively and extensively connected with farming interests and is still the owner of much valuable wheat land in this section of the state. Moreover, he has been prominently connected with public affairs and has been called upon to represent his district in the general assembly. He was born in Missouri, November 12, 1855, and is a son of Alfred H. and Sophia (Smith) Weatherford, both of whom were natives of Virginia and at an early day removed westward to Missouri, where their remaining days were passed. They had a family of nine children but only three are now living.

While born in the middle west, Hon. F. M. Weatherford has spent the greater part of his life in the Pacific coast country. He crossed the plains in 1864, when a lad of but nine years, and became a resident of Linn county, Oregon. The trip was made with ox teams and wagon and he was six months en route, experiencing many hardships and privations as the party traveled over the barren plains, the hot sandy desert and across the mountain ranges. He took up his abode with a brother in Oregon and there remained until 1872, when he made his way northward to Walla Walla county, Washington. The following year, when a youth of eighteen, he rented a farm nine miles southwest of Dayton in the section known as Bundy Hollow. Later he bought land east of Dayton and occupied that farm for twenty years, his labors bringing about a marked transformation in the appearance of the place, for when the land came into his possession it was wild and undeveloped. With characteristic energy he began to cultivate it, breaking the furrows, planting the seed and in due time gathering rich harvests. Year by year the work of operating the farm was carried on and as his financial resources increased he made other investments in property, adding to his holdings from time to time until he is now the owner of sixteen hundred acres of fine wheat land in Columbia county. He was also at one time vice president of the Farmers Exchange at Waitsburg, which he aided in organizing. He has now put aside the more active work of the fields, leaving that to others, while he is enjoying a well earned rest, having taken up his abode in Dayton. His farm property yields to him a most gratifying annual income and his energy and sound business judgment have brought him success.

In 1878 Mr. Weatherford was united in marriage to Miss Harriet A. Turner and they have become parents of five children: William M.; J. C., who is living upon the home farm; Mary S., who is the wife of Elmer Dunlap; Clara L., the wife of W. E. Bruce; and Arthur M., who is also upon the home farm.

In his political affiliation Mr. Weatherford is a democrat and has taken an active part in advancing the interests of the organization. His fellow townsmen, appreciative of his worth and his devotion to the party, elected him to represent them for one term in the state legislature. The cause of education finds in him a stalwart champion and he has done effective work in behalf of the schools as a member of the school board. Fraternally he is connected with Dayton Lodge, No. 136, I. O. O. F., and both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, South, and in its work take an active and helpful interest, doing all in their power to extend its growth and promote its purpose. Mr. Weatherford deserves much credit for what he has accomplished. He started out in the business world empty-handed, yet he has passed many another traveler on life's journey whose start was perhaps more advantageous. His success is the direct result of indefatigable industry intelligently directed, and, advancing year by year, he has become one of the prominent and prosperous men of Columbia county.

HON. DAVID H. COX.

Hon. David H. Cox has back of him an ancestry honorable and distinguished. Upon the family records appear the names of several who have been active in connection with framing state or national legislation. His own career has been cast in harmony with the family record and he is now a member of the state senate of Washington. For many years he has figured conspicuously and honorably in agricultural and commercial circles and is still actively identified with farming, his attention now being given to the management of his farm property. A native of eastern Tennessee, he was born December 28, 1865, a son of Elbert S. and Mary Louise (Beyers) Cox, both of whom were natives of Tennessee, where they spent their entire lives. The mother was a niece of John Severe, who was the first governor of Tennessee and a brother of her mother. Elbert S. Cox was for many years one of the leading merchants of Jonesboro, Tennessee, and was also extensively engaged in farming, having near the town a large tract of land which he successfully and wisely cultivated. He was also prominent in public affairs of the community and served for one term as member of congress from his district. He took a most active and helpful part in public thought and action and all that he did was characterized by a spirit of progressiveness that made him one of the most valued residents of Jonesboro. He passed away July 3, 1881, the day on which President Garfield was shot, in the Pennsylvania Railroad station at Washington, D. C.

David H. Cox supplemented his public school education by study in Milliken College of eastern Tennessee and when nineteen years of age he started out in the business world on his own account, going to Texas, where he remained for a year. In 1885 he came to the northwest with Walla Walla as his destination. Here he arrived on the 6th of October of that year, possessed of courage and determination but of no funds. His financial condition rendered it imperative that he obtain immediate employment and he soon secured a position on a farm. He willingly accepted any employment that would yield him an honest living. He proved so capable in his farm work that his employer, recognizing his ability, offered to loan him the amount necessary to enable him to engage in business for himself. He took up the occupation of farming and for a considerable period rented land. Since that date he has never been without farm land of his own and for many years has been a most prominent figure in agricultural circles in this section of the state. In 1889, while still continuing in his farming operations, he became identified with the Pacific Coast Elevator Company and managed the business from 1889 until 1901. He then became associated with Walter S. Barnett and established the mercantile house of Cox, Barnett & Company, under which firm name they transacted an extensive grocery and hardware business, their sales amounting in later years to between twenty-five and thirty thousand dollars per month. They continued the business in a very successful manner until 1910, when Mr. Cox, in company with Hugh A. Martin, organized the Independent Grain Company, under which title they carried on business successfully for four years. Since then Mr. Cox has given his undivided attention to the management of his farming properties, which represent judicious investments and are the expression of well directed business ability.

In 1890 Mr. Cox was united in marriage to Miss Decima E. Yeend, of Walla Walla county, a daughter of William Yeend, one of the pioneer farmers of this section of the state, who came to Washington from England in 1869. Mr. and Mrs. Cox have become the parents of two children: Arthur E., who is farming his father's land; and Dessie, at home.

The family occupies a very enviable position in social circles and the hospitality of the best homes of Walla Walla is freely accorded them. Mr. Cox is a stalwart republican in his political views and has done much to further the interests and promote the success of the party. He served for several years as member of the Walla Walla city council and in 1908 was elected to the state senate, serving as a member of the upper house of the general assembly for four years. In 1912 he was a candidate for state treasurer, and while he carried thirty-four out of the thirty-eight counties, he was defeated by the Pierce county vote. In 1916 he was again elected to the state senate, in which capacity he is now serving. He is an earnest working member of the upper house, carefully considering the vital questions which come up for settlement, and his position in support or opposition of any measure is never an equivocal one. He stands loyally for what he believes to be the best interests of the commonwealth and in his political record he has ever been willing to subordinate personal interests to the general good. Mr. and Mrs. Cox are consistent and faithful members of the Methodist church and he has had the honor of representing his church at the general conference for three successive terms. He is chairman of the board of trustees of the church and does everything in his power to advance its cause and extend its influence. While he has won notable success he has never made the attainment of wealth the sole ambition of his life. He has recognized his duties and obligations in other connections and has stood at all times for that which is most worth while in citizenship and in the moral development of the people at large. His life record is characterized by many honorable phases and should well serve as a source of encouragement to others and constitute an example which others may profitably follow. Coming to the west empty-handed, he has here intelligently directed his efforts with a result that has been most notable and gratifying, but winning prosperity has been but one feature of his activities, for his course has been so directed that he has gained not only material success but an honored name as well.

DAMASE BERGEVIN.

Damase Bergevin, whose success from the time that he made his initial purchase of land in Walla Walla county was rapid and substantial, so that he became one of the prosperous farmers of this section of the state and at his death left his family in comfortable financial circumstances, was born near Quebec, Canada, on the 31st of March, 1840. He came of French ancestry. He was there reared with no educational advantages except those found in the school of experience. In 1865 he came to Walla Walla county, Washington, after spending a year in St. Joseph, Missouri. On reaching the northwest he located in what was then known as French Town, about nine miles west of Walla Walla, on the Walla Walla river. Two brothers had preceded him here and Mr. Bergevin worked for a time for one of them. Between the years 1875 and 1878 he was in the employ of Dr. Baker and built the narrow gauge railroad from Wallula to Walla Walla, this being the first railroad in the state of Washington. Mr. Bergevin cut the ties for this road and drove them down the Yakima river.

It was not until 1880 that Mr. Bergevin made his first purchase of land. At that time he and his brother Clement bought an eighty acre farm and a year later the brothers divided their interest and from that time forward Mr. Bergevin operated independently. His success from that time forward was rapid and he proved not only a very enterprising and progressive farmer but a man of excellent ability in managing his financial interests. As his resources increased he kept adding to his holdings until he had acquired sixteen hundred and twenty-one acres of land in the home farm and also owned six hundred and forty acres five miles north of Walla Walla and a tract of one hundred and sixty acres at Rulo Station on the Northern Pacific Railroad. His investments were most judiciously made and his business affairs carefully managed. He seemed to readily recognize the essential in all business transactions and his sound judgment and indefatigable enterprise brought to him a very gratifying measure of success. In 1892 he was stricken with total blindness, but though thus incapacitated in a large measure for the management of his property interests he was surrounded by the loving care of his wife, while his four sons assumed business duties and responsibilities and as the years have passed on more has been added to the family holdings until the Bergevin interests in Walla Walla county are most extensive.

It was at St. Rose's Catholic Mission church at Frenchtown, July 3, 1881, that Mr. Bergevin was united in marriage to Miss Mary P. Allard, a native of St. Paul, Minnesota, who came to Walla Walla county with her parents, Oliver and Leo Cadie (Forest) Allard, in 1862. They crossed the plains with ox teams, meeting the usual experiences of such a trip, and at length located in the little hamlet of Walla Walla. The father was a carpenter by trade and assisted in large measure in the upbuilding of the town in the early days, erecting many of the first buildings in the city. Mrs. Bergevin is now residing in Walla Walla.

To Mr. and Mrs. Bergevin were born six children: Leona P., now the wife of Philip Remillard, a farmer of Walla Walla county; Joseph Damase, who resides on the homestead farm; Arthur A., also engaged in farming; Clement A., who, lives on the old Bergevin home farm; Clarence C., who was married September 26, 1917, to Miss Lois Reavis, and is farming in Walla Walla county; and Augustine A., the wife of Elmer Markham, a farmer of Walla Walla county. There are also twelve grandchildren. At one time Arthur and Clarence Bergevin were engaged in the cultivation of thirteen hundred and fifty acres of land, owning five hundred and twenty acres of that amount, but have since divided their interests. The former was married September 27, 1916, to Miss Margaret Gohres. He is a member of the Loyal Order of Moose and, like the others of the family, is an adherent of the Catholic church. He has one of the best improved farms in the county on which is a large, substantial and beautiful residence with extensive farm buildings, all new, modern and thoroughly equipped. In a word, the name Bergevin has come to stand for progress and improvement in Walla Walla county.

In his political views Mr. Bergevin of this review was a democrat and while he never took an active part in politics he was interested in the welfare and progress of his community and gave his support to all measures which he deemed of public benefit. He died on the 31st of July, 1911, honored and respected by all who knew him. His had been a most active and useful life and one which was crowned with a very substantial measure of prosperity. In fact his record should serve as a source of encouragement and inspiration to others, showing what may be accomplished through determined purpose, unfaltering industry and sound judgment.

CHARLES MOORE.

Charles Moore was an early settler of Walla Walla county and for a number of years was prominently identified with agricultural, commercial and transportation interests here, but in 1882 removed to Moscow, Idaho, where he spent much of the remainder of his life, but passed away in Walla Walla. His widow in 1907 resumed her residence in Walla Walla and is now well known in the city. The birth of Mr. Moore occurred in Ohio, October 1, 1841, his parents being Amos L. and Mary (Monroe) Moore, the latter's father being a cousin of President James Monroe. The father was born in Delaware and the mother in Pennsylvania, but they removed to Ohio at an early day and later to Wisconsin, whence in 1869 they came to Walla Walla county, Washington, where they resided until called to the home beyond. To them were born five children, of whom only one now survives, ex-Governor Miles C. Moore, of Walla Walla.

Charles Moore was reared in Wisconsin and his early education was that afforded by the district schools, while later he attended an academy or seminary, and subsequently became a college student. In 1861, when twenty years of age, he enlisted in the Union army and went to the front in defense of the stars and stripes. In 1862 he was wounded at the battle of Shiloh, or Pittsburg Landing, and because of his injuries was honorably discharged. He then returned to the north and entered the Wesleyan College of Delaware, Ohio, thus resuming his interrupted education. Later he was drafted for service but because of the wound he had previously sustained was discharged and went to Wisconsin. He was married there in 1864 and in 1865 he and his wife crossed the plains to the Pacific northwest by mule team and after reaching Walla Walla county both engaged in teaching school. Several years were devoted to that profession, but in 1870 Mr. Moore was appointed postmaster of Walla Walla under President Grant and held the office for four years. In the meantime, in 1872, he purchased the old Dr. Whitman Mission Farm and engaged in its operation until 1878, when he established a farm implement business in connection with his brother, Miles C. Moore, at Almota, in Whitman county, to the conduct of which he devoted the greater part of his time and attention. He was also agent for the Oregon Steam Navigation Company of Portland, Oregon. Mrs. Moore was the active assistant and helper of her husband, doing clerical work in connection with the conduct of the postoffice, and the business identified with freight navigation. Soon he became interested in the building of a telegraph line from Colfax to Ulmota, on Snake river, and went up the river and assisted in rafting the poles down to be used in the construction of the line. Subsequently he with others owned the telegraph line from Dayton to Walla Walla, which was connected with government telegraph lines. In 1882 he removed to Moscow, Idaho, where with his brother, Miles C., later governor of Washington territory, he erected a grist mill. Mr. Moore of this review maintained his residence in Moscow for a number of years. He became a heavy landowner, his holdings including a large tract on the Snake river in Garfield county, Washington, five hundred acres of which is still in possession of his widow, and two hundred acres near Moscow, Idaho. He was a man of unusual soundness of judgment in business affairs and his advice was often sought by others.

On the 13th of October, 1864, Mr. Moore was united in marriage in Wisconsin to Miss Julia A. Kneen, a native of the state of New York and a daughter of John and Margaret (Teare) Kneen, both of whom were natives of the Isle of Man. In young manhood and womanhood they emigrated to America and settled in the state of New York, whence in 1846 they removed to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, while subsequently they became residents of Kilbourn City, Wisconsin. The mother's death occurred in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but the father survived until 1878. To them were born four children, of whom Mrs. Moore is the only one now living. By her marriage she became the mother of four children: Harry K., a resident of Walla Walla; Flora P., at home; F. Cushing, who is a mining engineer now in British Columbia; and Edna L., the wife of D. F. Baker, of Walla Walla.

Mr. Moore gave his political support to the republican party and carefully studied the questions and issues of the day, but was not a narrow partisan. Whatever he undertook he carried forward to successful completion and won not only financial independence but also a high place in the esteem of his fellowmen. In early manhood he was a member of the Masonic fraternity and exemplified in his life its beneficent purpose.

Since her husband's death Mrs. Moore has successfully managed the estate and general business interests connected therewith and in 1909 she erected her present modern and attractive home on Alvarado terrace in Walla Walla. In the meantime, however, following her husband's demise she removed to California with her children in order that they might have the benefit of educational instruction there and later she established her home in Evanston, Illinois, that they might continue their studies in the Northwestern University. In 1896 she returned to the old home in Moscow, Idaho, and in 1907 removed to Walla Walla, where she has since resided, two years later building her present home. She is a member of the Reading Club, one of the oldest clubs of Walla Walla, and is active in connection with those interests which work for intellectual progress and cultural value.

G. B. DAGUE.

G. B. Dague, one of the leading agriculturists of Walla Walla county, where his holdings embrace fourteen hundred and seventy acres of valuable land, resides on section 25, township 8 north, range 35 east. His birth occurred in Kansas on the 31st of December, 1871, his parents being Henry H. and Mary Elizabeth (Poorman) Dague, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Ohio. Soon after their marriage, which was celebrated in the Buckeye state, they removed to Jefferson county, Kansas, there residing until the spring of 1872, when they took up their abode in western Kansas. There the mother passed away in 1881, and the father's last years were spent with his children.

G. B. Dague was reared under the parental roof and attended the common schools in the acquirement of an education. In 1889, when a youth of eighteen years, he made his way westward to the state of Washington and for a number of years thereafter he worked for others. In 1898 he located permanently in Walla Walla county and began farming on his own account, renting a farm near Prescott. Five years later he bought his first land, coming into possession of two hundred and forty acres near Hadley Station, while two or three years afterward he purchased an adjoining tract of one hundred and sixty acres. In May, 1908, he purchased what was known as the old Sergeant Smith place of six hundred and fifty-three acres and in 1911 he became the owner of what was known as the Geaney place of four hundred and seventeen acres, which is his present home farm. His holdings in Walla Walla county embrace altogether about fourteen hundred and seventy acres, all located in township 8 north, range 35 east, much of this being of the very best and most valuable land in the county. Mr. Dague also has heavy land holdings in Morrow county, Oregon, and in Benton county, Washington. His record is indeed commendable and one that should serve to inspire and encourage others, showing what may be accomplished by industry, perseverance and determination. Twenty-two years ago he was driving a header wagon over the land which he now owns and was earning, but a dollar and a quarter per day. His present financial condition clearly indicates the progress he has made, for, actuated by laudable ambition, he has worked his way steadily upward to a position among the most substantial agriculturists of the county.

On Christmas day of 1901 Mr. Dague was united in marriage to Mrs. Bertha L. (Prather) Washburn, by whom he has two children, Georgia E. and George Byron.

He is independent in politics and for thirteen years has ably served as clerk of the school district. Fraternally he is identified with Washington Lodge, No. 19, I. O. O. F., of Walla Walla, and he also belongs to the M. W. of P. His life has been an active, useful and honorable one, winning for him the high regard and esteem of all with whom he has been brought in contact, so that the circle of his friends is almost coextensive with the circle of his acquaintance.

FRANK MILLER.

Frank Miller, starting out in the business world as a farm hand when a young lad in his teens, is now one of the prosperous citizens of Starbuck, where he has extensive realty holdings. He is also the owner of much valuable property and is otherwise connected with the business interests of southeastern Washington in a most active and extensive way. He was born in Germany, June 24, 1858, and is a son of John and Louisa Miller, who were also natives of that country, whence they came to America in 1867. They established their home upon a farm in Wisconsin, where they spent their remaining days, being long identified with the agricultural interests of that locality. They had a family of nine children, but Frank Miller and his sister Josephine are the only ones now living.

Reared and educated in Wisconsin, he is indebted to the public school system of that State for the opportunities which he had to prepare for life's practical and responsible duties through the work of the schoolroom. He went to Illinois when a lad of fourteen years and there secured employment as a farm hand, in which work he engaged until he reached the age of twenty-two. He then left the Mississippi valley and made his way to the northwest, arriving in Walla Walla county, after which he secured a situation in a brewery in Walla Walla, where he remained for four years. He then took up the work of gardening at Walla Walla, which he followed for a year, after which he rented a farm and for six years was engaged in its cultivation. He took up a homestead two miles and a half or three miles south of his present home. This he proved up on and lived there eight years, after which he sold the place. He then bought five hundred acres, mostly wheat land, much of which is irrigated, and he also has thirty-five acres planted to alfalfa and to fruit, having one of the fine orchards of his part of the state. He is likewise a stockholder in the bank at Starbuck and he has made extensive and judicious investments in real estate, owning very large property interests in the village. His business affairs have brought him very substantial success, for his investments have been judiciously made and his untiring industry has also brought splendid returns.

In 1882 Mr. Miller was united in marriage to Miss Nettie Sack, a native of Illinois, and they became the parents of nine children, namely: Louisa, the wife of Charles Krause; Simon; Eva, the wife of H. H. Foster; George, who married Hazel Schultz; Fred, now in Camp Lewis with the American army; and Jesse, Ida, Frank and Grace, all yet at home. The wife and mother died September 30, 1917, and was laid to rest in Starbuck cemetery. She was loved and respected by all who knew her.

In his political views Mr. Miller is a democrat and gives stanch support to the party and its principles, although he does not seek or desire public office. He is a self-made man, for he started out to provide for his own support with no capital whatever and all that he has achieved and enjoyed is attributable to his persistent purpose and well-directed energy. He has been both the architect and builder of his own fortunes and has builded wisely and well.

WILLIAM S. MALLOY.

William S. Malloy, a retired agriculturist residing in Walla Walla, where he has the finest home on Washington street, is still the owner of twenty-four hundred acres of wheat land which is now being cultivated by a renter. His birth occurred in New Brunswick, Canada, on the 17th of June, 1844, his parents being John and Catherine (Sutton) Malloy, the former a native of County Wexford, Ireland, and the latter of New Brunswick. John Malloy was a young man of eighteen years when he left the Emerald isle and took up his abode in New Brunswick, where he was married. In 1853 he and his wife crossed the border into the United States, establishing their home in Stillwater, Minnesota, where Mr. Malloy and two sons, Robert and James, were prominently identified with the lumber industry for many years. It was there that his demise occurred in 1871, and the mother passed away in 1884. In their family were the following children: George, John, Robert, James and William S., of this review.

William S. Malloy, who was a lad of nine years when he accompanied his parents on their removal to Minnesota, acquired his education in the common schools of Stillwater, that state. In 1864, when a young man of twenty years, he left the parental roof and made his way westward to Montana, and for about six years he was employed in the mining fields of Virginia City and in Deerlodge county. The year 1870 witnessed his arrival in Walla Walla county, Washington, and here he embarked in the cattle business, in which he became extensively interested, his large herds roaming the plains on the Columbia, Palouse and Snake rivers. At the end of six years, cattle having gone so low in price that the business was not promising, he disposed of his cattle and for a period of twenty months gave his attention to mining in southern Utah. He then returned to Washington, locating in Columbia county, where he became engaged in farming and in the stock business, his undertakings in that connection being attended with prosperity that enabled him to add to his holdings from time to time until they now embrace twenty-four hundred acres of valuable wheat land. In the cultivation and development of this extensive tract he was actively engaged until 1917, when he put aside further business cares and is now living retired in the enjoyment of well earned rest. In the fall of 1894 he had established the family home in the city of Walla Walla and there it has been maintained to the present time. Realizing that the public domain will soon be gone Mr. Malloy went to Toole county, Montana, in 1917 and purchased in the northwest part of that state, east of the Rocky Mountains, twenty-seven hundred acres of land in one body, which he is now breaking and seeding and making other improvements with the intention of converting it into a farm.

In 1874 Mr. Malloy was joined in wedlock to Miss Mary P. Lyons, a daughter of Dan Lyons, of Lyons Ferry. The seven children of this marriage were as follows: William Lee, Robert Ralph and Ernest Lyons, all of whom are deceased; Elizabeth, who is the wife of Oscar Drumheller, of Walla Walla; Minnie F., at home; Thomas D., an agriculturist residing in Columbia county; and Angeline M., at home. The wife and mother passed away in May, 1916, and her demise was the occasion of deep and widespread regret.

Mr. Malloy is a democrat in his political views but has never sought nor desired office as a reward for his party fealty and in fact has always refused official preferment. Fraternally he is identified with the Masons and with the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He has now passed the seventy-third milestone on life's journey and his career has ever been such that he can look back over the past without regret and forward to the future without fear. His memory compasses the period of pioneer development and later progress here, and he has ever borne his share in the work of upbuilding and improvement.

O. Z. SKINNER.

With the development of a district, town or city, real estate activity has much to do and one of the most important factors in substantial growth and progress is the real estate dealer who wisely directs purchases and sales and thus adds much to the beauty and development of the city in which he operates. A notable record of success is that of O. Z. Skinner, senior partner of the firm of O. Z. Skinner & Company, real estate and insurance agents in Walla Walla. He was born in Havana, Mason county, Illinois, December 12, 1853, a son of Orlando and Martha (Roeder) Skinner, who were natives of the state of New York and of Illinois respectively. They were married in the latter state, to which the father had removed in early manhood. He was a well known minister of the Universalist church and devoted his life to that cause. In 1910 he came to Walla Walla, where he lived retired, making his home with his son, O. Z. Skinner, up to the time of his demise, which occurred on the 8th of June, 1914. For a considerable period he had survived his wife, who died in February, 1897.