The following are biographical “brevities” or short sketches of individuals. They appeared often in publications with limited space and resources, that still wanted to provide details of living residents in order to encourage their purchase of the publication. The source of these is the Historic Sketches of Walla Walla, Whitman, Columbia and Garfield Counties, Washington Territory, and Umatilla County, Oregon .
F. W. Becker: lives in Colfax, and is a butcher; was born in Hesse-Cassel, Germany; came to San Francisco in 1869, and to this county in 1880.
James Benton: lives four miles southwest of Colfax; is a farmer; owns 320 acres of land; address is Colfax. He was born in Wayne Co., Indiana, November 6, 1841; came to Oregon in 1864, and to this county in 1871.
Jesse Bishop: lives in Palouse City; is a miller; owns 710 acres of land; was born in Wilmington, New Castle Co., Delaware, October 17, 1840; came to Walla Walla in 1876, and to this county in 1877.
H. M. Boone: lives in Colfax; is proprietor of a livery stable; owns two town lots and 160 acres of land; was born in Polk Co., Oregon, January 1, 1858, and came to this county in 1873.
L. T. Bragg: lives in Colfax; is County Auditor; owns 160 acres of land and three town lots; was born in Newark, Knox Co., Missouri, March 29, 1840; came to Lane Co., Oregon, in 1870, and to this county in 1875.
Henry Copley: lives three miles southwest of Onecho; is a farmer and sheep raiser; owns 280 acres of land; address is Onecho. He was born in West Salem, Wayne Co., Ohio, March 16, 1837, and came to this county in 1877.
C. A. Cram: lives in Penawawa; is a merchant; was born in Eola, Polk Co., Oregon, January 15, 1860; came to Walla Walla Co., in 1867, and to this county in 1879.
Walt J. Davenport: lives in Colfax; is a clerk; was born in Silverton, Marion Co., Oregon, March 17, 1857, and came to this county in 1872.
James A. Davis: lives in Colfax; is proprietor of a livery stable and a stock raiser; owns 160 acres of land; was born in Boone Co., Indiana, May 10, 1840; came to Walla Walla Co., in 1865, and to this county in 1871.
Frank Dickinson: lives in Palouse City; is a merchant; owns 160 acres of land; was born in Scott Co., Iowa, September 28, 1850; came to Walla Walla in 1877, and to this county the same year.
Emsley Fincher: lives in Penawawa; is a farmer and sheep raiser; owns 240 acres of land; was born in Miami Co., Ohio, February 22, 1831; came to Walla Walla and to this county in 1872.
Cyrus French: lives in Colfax; is a saloon keeper; owns 160 acres of land and six town lots; was born in Corinth, Penobscot Co., Maine; came to Yuba Co., California, in 1862, and to this county in 1877.
J. N. Hamilton: lives in Farmington; is a livery stable keeper; was born in Clackamas Co., Oregon, October 8, 1856; and came to this county in 1882.
Alfred A. Hills: lives eight miles northwest of Colfax; is a farmer; address is Colfax. He was born in Morgan Co., Illinois, January 18, 1823; came to Washington Co., Oregon, in 1851, to the Territory in 1852, and to this county in 1874.
George A. Hills: lives eight miles northwest of Colfax; is a farmer and stock raiser; owns 320 acres of land; address is Colfax. He was born in Andrew Co., Missouri, May 9, 1850; came to Washington Co., Oregon, in 1851, to the Territory in 1852, and to this county in 1874.
J. Hoover: lives in Colfax; is a banker; was born in Washington Co., Oregon; came to the Territory in 1869, and to this county in 1878.
J. A. Hungate: lives in Almota; is proprietor of a flour mill; owns 200 acres of land; was born in Macomb, McDonough Co., Illinois, July 24, 1844; came to Yolo Co., California, in 1864, to the Territory in 1873, and to this county in 1880.
Joel A. Kirby: lives west of Almota on Long Hollow; is a farmer and stock man; owns 320 acres of land; address is Almota. He was born in Jennings Co., Indiana, August 28, 1836; came to Washington Co., Oregon, in 1852, to the Territory in 1861, and to this county in 1878.
J. A. McClure: lives in Palouse City; is a harness maker; owns seven town lots; was born in Lane Co., Oregon, June 21, 1855; came to the Territory in 1875, and to this county in 1878.
H. H. McCord: lives in Colfax; is an agent for D. M. Osborne & Co.; owns some town lots; was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania June 29, 1837; came to San Francisco in 1859, and to this county in 1876.
John McCue: lives in Palouse City; came to Polk Co., Oregon, in 1874, and to this county in 1879.
W. S. Newland: lives in Penawawa; is proprietor of a ferry and hotel; owns 40 acres of land; was born in Abingdon, Washington Co., Virginia, May 25, 1839; came to Dayton, Columbia Co., in 1866, and to this county in 1879.
H. A. Olds: lives two miles northeast of Penawawa; is a farmer and sheep raiser; owns 640 acres of land; address is Penawawa. He was born in Grant Co., Wisconsin, March 18, 1852; came to Oregon in 1864, and to this county in 1877.
Luther Olds: lives two miles northeast of Penawawa; is a farmer and sheep raiser; owns 160 acres of land; address is Penawawa. He was born in Chautauqua Co., New York, February 12, 1823; came to Marion Co., Oregon, in 1864, and to this county in 1877.
J. A. Perkins: lives in Colfax; is a banker; owns 620 acres of land; was born in Belle Plain, Marshall Co., Illinois, September 7, 1841; came to Washington Co., Oregon, in 1852, to the Territory in 1861, and to this county in 1870.
Daniel Pfeffer: lives in Palouse City; is a hotel keeper; owns 160 acres of land; was born in Elgin Co., Ontario, Canada, December 17, 1834; came to Oregon City, Oregon, in 1875, to the Territory in 1879, and to this county in 1881.
W. P. Ragsdale: lives in Palouse City; is a merchant; owns 380 acres of land; was born in Osage Co., Missouri, October 31, 1844; came to Salem, Oregon, in 1851, and to this county in 1874.
C. W. Skeels: lives one and one-half miles west of Lewiston at Skeels landing; is engaged in the warehouse business; owns 160 acres of land; address is Lewiston, Nez Perce Co., Idaho Territory. He was born in Iroquois Co., Illinois, March 30, 1860; came to Walla Walla in 1874, and to this county in 1878.
T. J. Smith: lives in Penawawa; is a farmer; owns 440 acres of land; was born in Oregon, Holt Co., Missouri, December 15, 1845; came to Polk Co., Oregon, in 1846, to the Territory in 1866, and to this county in 1869.
Henry H. Spalding, Jr.: lives in Almota; was born in Lapwai, Nez Perce Co., Idaho Territory, November 24, 1839; came to this Territory in 1859, and to this county in 1873.
Sarah J. Spencer: lives in Almota; is proprietor of a hotel; was born in Augusta Co., Virginia, May 26, 1826; came to Jackson Co., Oregon, in 1874, to the Territory in 1880, and to this county in 1881.
S. D. Stephens: lives nine miles north of Colfax; is a farmer; owns 160 acres of land; address is Colfax. He was born in Morgan Co., Tennessee, July 12, 1833; came to Petaluma, Sonoma Co., California, in 1856, to the Territory in 1862, and to this county in 1872.
H. T. Stratton: lives in Farmington; is a merchant; owns 1,500 acres of land; was born in Tioga Co., Pennsylvania, May 31, 1835; came to Wilbur, Douglas Co., Oregon, in 1854, and to this county in 1878.
J. S. Taylor: lives two and one-half miles south of Colfax; is a farmer; owns 160 acres of land; address is Colfax. He was born in Beaver Co., Pennsylvania, September 16, 1838; came to Oregon in 1859, to the Territory in 1860, and to this county in 1871.
Geo. W. Truax: lives in Farmington; is a farmer and proprietor of town site; owns 150 acres of land; was born in St. Lawrence Co., New York, December 10, 1841; came to Marion Co., Oregon, in 1870, and to this county in 1871.
Dillard Walker: lives in Farmington; is a butcher; was born in Greene Co., Missouri, May 4, 1851; came to Napa, California, in 1858, and to this county in 1880.
James R. Wicks: lives in Onecho; is a farmer and stockman; owns 320 acres of land; was born in Erie Co., Pennsylvania; came to Plumas Co., California, in 1856, and to this county in 1872.
Justus H. Wiley: lives in Palouse City; is a merchant and Postmaster; owns 100 acres of land; was born in Meigs Co., Ohio, February 8, 1834; came to Salem, Oregon, in 1875, to the Territory in 1880, and to this county in 1881.
R. J. Wilson: lives in Colfax; is a hardware merchant; owns 480 acres of land; was born in Branch Co., Michigan, April 22, 1839; came to San Francisco in 1874, and to the Territory in 1878.
Source: Gilbert, Frank T. Historic Sketches of Walla Walla, Whitman, Columbia and Garfield Counties, Washington Territory, and Umatilla County, Oregon. Portland, Or.: Printing House of A.G. Walling, 1882.