Every Wednesday, the Oregon Republican League will post the biographies of important figures, in the League's/State of Oregon's history. Feel free to comment or share stories of your family's Republican affiliation.
Biography of Hon. George J. Hurley, Clackamas Co., OR 1859
From "History of North Washington" Published 1904
Ferry County Biographical Sketches
Hon. George J.Hurley
Hon. George J. Hurley needs no introduction to the people of northern Washington. He is at the present time state senator of Okanogan, Ferry and Douglas counties. He was elected to office in 1902,his name appearing on the Republican ticket. During the session of the legislature just past, he was instrumental in putting through the bill arranging the proper valuation of mines, and also introduced some excellent legislation on highways. He framed and introduced the libel bill, which was vetoed by the Governor. Mr. Hurley also brought forward an excellent bill relating to handling sheep in the state, which was not made a law. He is a very active state senator, and is looked upon by his colleagues as a man of energy, talent and erudition. George J. Hurley, was born in Oregon City, Oregon, on September 18, 1859, being the son of Richard and Mary (McCarver) Hurley. The mother's father, Mr. McCarver, who was an early pioneer to the Pacific coast, laid out the town of Tacoma. The father of our subject came to Oregon in 1857, having left New York City in 1845. The intervening time was spent in Mexico. Oregon City was the family home until 1863, when they moved to Idaho, and ten years later came back to Oregon, and are now residing in Portland. They are the parents of seven children, our subject being the eldest. The others are: Minnie L., Terry, Annie M. White, Belle F., Cavaline, Carrie L. Pease, Leta, and Elmer S.
Our subject was educated in the public schools of Lewiston and at the early age of fourteen, began life for himself as a cabin boy in the employ of the Oregon Steamship and Navigation Company. During the succeeding years, he has been alert in his research for information, and the result is that he is broad minded and well informed, with a good practical education. After his services as cabin boy, he was freight clerk and then rode the range for three years. During the Bannock war, he and twelve others were corralled in a stronghold for six weeks by the Indians. After this, we find him in the employ of the Northern Pacific,and later at Sprague, handling general merchandise for the firm of Sprague & Fairweather. During the construction of the Northern Pacific,he was with Nelson Bennett as clerk. In 1887, he came to Okanogan county and took up general merchandising with I.T. Keene. During this time, he was one of three delegates from Okanogan county to the admission convention at Ellensburg when the admission of the state of Washington was agitated.When the new count of Okanogan was set off in 1887, Mr. Hurley, Guy Waring and William Granger were appointed by the state legislature to locate the county seat and select the proper officers, to remain in office until the first election. In 1894, Mr. Hurley was in British Columbia, then went south for two years, later returning to British Columbia in 1897, and in 1898 he came to where Republic now stands. For one year he was manager of the Republic Trading Company, and has since engaged in other business. Mr. Hurley is a staunch Republican, and always takes great interest in the affairs of his party. In 1883 he was elected city clerk of Ainsworth was twice county commissioner of Okanogan county, was mayor of Ruby five terms, and city clerk of Republic for three terms. In all his public life, Mr. Hurley has shown marked uprightness and integrity.
In 1889 Mr. Hurley married Miss Ella Cook, and to them one child has been born, Clarence Webb. Mr. Cook was killed by the Indians in Montana in 1867. He was the father of seven children. Fraternally, Mr. Hurley is affiliated with the I.O.O.F., the Eagles, and several other orders. His wife is a member of the Rebekahs. Their son, Clarence Webb, was the page for the president of the senate during the last term of the legislature, and the youngest on the floor.
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http://www.rootsweb.com/~orgenweb/bios/hiramjohnson.html
Hiram Alva Johnson
From "The Oregon Daily Statesman," Feb. 5, 1896
In 1874, at the request of his family, Mr. Johnson began a biography of himself and continued to add to it as the years rolled by until 1890, when the work was temporarily dropped.
In it he says:
I was born in the town of Russel, St. Lawrence county, state of New York, on the 18th day of February 1819. My father's name was Charles Johnson. My mother's maiden name was Rachel Pratt. She had been married to a man by the name of Veil, before she became the wife of my father, and had four daughters. My father and mother had seven children - four sons and three daughters. My oldest sister died when she was about 2 years old; she was scalded by turning a tub of hot water upon herself. Three of my half sisters, two of my whole sisters and three brothers are still living. (July, 1874)
When I was 8 years old, my father moved to Edwards, about eight miles from Russel. I was raised to hard work on a farm. My father was a hard-working, industrious farmer and considered at that time as very well off. My parents were strictly moral and religious, belonging to the Baptist Church. When I was 20, I started out for myself, working for my brother in law, James Foster, in Jefferson County, New York. The fall before this, I went to Lewis County, New York, to work, but soon became homesick and went back home. In the fall of 1839, I went back to Russel and lived with my brother-in-law, Elihu Phelps, and attended school during the winter. In the spring, I concluded, I would buy a piece of land and go to work on it. I made a partial contract for a piece of timberland with my brother-in-law and went to work, chopping off the underbrush, for a clearing. I followed this for a few days and became discouraged and told the folks I was going West. I had a brother living in Illinois and I started for that country in May, 1840. I took a steamer at Ogdensburgh, the first one I had ever traveled on (never having seen one until the winter before). The first night we had a severe storm and I became very seasick and concluded, if I ever got on land again, I would keep off the water in the future. We landed at Rochester and I took the canal boat for Buffalo. I soon got tired of this slow way of getting along and then took a steamboat for Chicago, where we arrived after a pleasant trip.
I then traveled on foot from Chicago to Ottoway, on the Illinois River, there taking a boat for Florence, Pike County, Illinois. I arrived at my brother's about the middle of May and afterwards worked some of the time for a man near by. The next winter I again attended school. With the exception of one winter, I attended school about three months each year from the time I was 4 years old until I was 22, consequently my education was what might be called tolerably good. When I arrived in Illinois, I had no property except my clothes.
On the 25th of July 1841, I was married to Elizabeth Jane Whitley and went to keeping house on forty acres of land that she had partly paid for. Remaining there two years, I sold that place and took up a quarter section of land on Bay Creek in the same county. I worked hard, fenced and broke a small field, built a house, raised a crop of corn, took the ague, got discouraged and sold out in the fall and went back on Honey Creek and contracted for another quarter-section of land and went to work improving it. In the fall of 1845, I sold out with the calculation of going to Texas in the following spring. During the winter I made my arrangements for the trip, but a short time previous to the time for starting, one of my horses was accidentally killed and consequently, I could not go. This I have always considered as a great blessing, for had I gone to Texas, I am satisfied that would not have been satisfied with the country and would have left it soon and then come to Oregon as others did who went at that time.
In the spring of 1846, I moved to Pittsfield, Illinois, and followed teaming with an ox team. In June I went on a visit to my people in New York, calculating to start to Oregon the next spring. I went by way of St Louis, up The Ohio River, thence across by stage to Erie, thence down Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. Had a pleasant visit with my father's family and returned home in July.
I remained in Pittsfield until the following April 5, 1847, when we started overland with an ox team for Oregon. Everything considered, we had a very pleasant journey. We crossed the Missouri River on May 1st and arrived at Fort Laramie on June 4th, the Green River July 4th, Fort Hall about the 1st of August, Dallas September 4th and reached Oregon City September 10th.
We stopped in Clackamas County a few days and then came to Marion County and took up a claim one and a half miles north of The Santiam River. The claim had been taken before and abandoned. There was a small cabin on it and we moved into it and went to work. I followed making rails that winter and worked in rain and shine. I could not get wheat for work, but could get plenty of beef and potatoes. I used to walk to my work three miles and back and cut and split three hundred rails a day. I fenced and broke ten acres and put in wheat and have always had plenty of everything since.
In the fall of 1848 I went to the California gold mines, working thirty-eight days and made about $2000. Then left the mines and went to San Francisco and waited a long time for a passage home, and then took a sailing vessel for the Columbia River. Arrived home the 1st of March. I worked on the farm that season and in the fall started to the mines again, but when I got to Shasta Peak, I met a good many coming back, disgusted with the mines, and returned home myself. .....
Politically I was a Democrat until the democracy went into rebellion and I did not go with them. I have been a Republican ever since.
I united with the M. E. Church when I was about 15 years of age and was immersed by them. At the age of 22, after I came to Illinois, I became acquainted with the Christian Church and united with them and have continued a firm believer in the New Testament Christianity ever since. I never played a game of cards for anything - don't even know how they count cards. Never was on the floor to dance. Have been strictly temperate, yet never belonging to any temperance organization since I was a boy. Never used tobacco except to smoke a cigar occasionally and am not guilty of any of the bad habits that most men indulge in. This may look like boasting, but I may as well tell the truth. In the summer of 1863 I joined the A. F. & A. M. and have never regretted it. I think, next to Christianity, it is the best institution now in operation.
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Biography of John S. Mires, Douglas Co, OR 1863
From "History of North Washington" Published 1904
Ferry County Biographical Sketches
John S. Mires
John S. Mires is at the present time holding a position of overseeing farmer for the Indians on the Colville Reservation. He was born in Oakland, Oregon, on February 20, 1863, the son of John H. and Anna (Deardorff) Mires, natives of Ohio and Indiana, respectively.
They crossed the plains with ox teams in 1853 and settled near Oakland, Oregon, on the Calapooya River, and that place was their home until the time of their death, the father's demise soccuring in 1888, and the mother's about 1897. Six children were born to this worthy couple, Austin, Benton, Anna Bonham, Maggie, deceased, Addie M. Cole, and John S., the subject of this sketch. Our subject received his education in his native place, where he lived with his parents until twenty-one years of age. At that time he began to work for himself, his first venture being horse raising in the John Day country, Oregon. Three years later he was in the southern part of the state farming and then was the administrator for his father's estate for four years. Following that he came to the south half of the reservation and took charge as Indian farmer for a year and a half. He then went to Ellensburg, and operated his brother's farm for two years, after which he came to Kettle Falls and later to Republic. In 1896 he started in the butcher business in which he was engaged for three years. Later he sold his shop and in 1899 was appointed overseeing farmer on the reservation which position he holds at present. In 1883, Mr. Mires was engaged by the government to weigh mail in Portland.
On June 7, 1880, Mr. Mires married Miss Ellie, daughter of John Q. and Theresa (Brown) Zachary, natives of Texas and Missouri, respectively. To this union three children have been born: Veda, Mildred and Addie.
Fraternally, Mr. Mires is affiliated with the I.O.O.F., the Rebekahs, the W.W., the Women of Woodcraft, the Fraternal Army, and the Loyal Army. Mr. Mires is a pioneer of this county, and stands well in the community. In 1900 Mr. Mires was a delegate to the State Republican Convention and was elected alternate to the National Convention at Philadelphia. In February 1904, he was sent from Ferry county to attend the State Central Committee in session at Seattle. Although our subject is a strong Republican, he has never accepted a nomination for any political office.
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Source: "Illustrated Historical Atlas Map of Marion and Linn Counties, Oregon," by Edgar Williams & Co., 1878
DAVID P. PORTER
David P. Porter was born in Washington County, Ohio, in the year 1827; his ancestors were Irish and German and came to this continent in the old colonial days. He lived in Washington County until he grew to manhood. While a boy, he received a common school education, which he acquired during the winters only, as during the other seasons the demand for his labor was too urgent to allow of more schooling.
In 1851, believing that a good chance offered in the West for an enterprising young man, he emigrated to Iowa, and there remained during the winter engaged in teaching school. Finding the climate too severe, in the spring of 1852, he started for Oregon, traveling with ox teams. The trip was a hard one, as cholera broke out and many died; as many as eight died out of the party with which Mr. P. was traveling.
He arrived in the Willamette Valley in the fall of the same year, and without any money, having loaned what he had to his companions.
The first winter in Oregon, Mr. P. spent in teaching school near Salem, which at that time was only a small village. In the spring of 1853, he commenced farming on rented land, but did not succeed well. At this period his financial condition can thus be stated: He had two yoke of oxen and one Indian pony, while his debts were about equal in value. He now took up a donation claim, which was situated four miles east of Peoria; but he did not farm much for the first few years, following other occupations; he lived on his farm, however, and kept bachelor's hall. Mr. Porter was one of the first teachers in this precinct. His donation claim he still owns, and now it is one of the best farms in his neighborhood; he has added to it from time to time, so that it now comprises some 1,488 acres. It lies close to the Village of Shedd, thus having post-office, depot, etc., quite convenient.
In 1874, he built a house in the village, which is one of the finest in the county. A view of the same may be seen elsewhere in this atlas.
In the year 1857, he married Miss Parthena J. Haley, daughter of Judge S. D. Haley, now State Senator from Linn County.
Mr. Porter is the father of nine children, eight of whom are living. They are all at home, part of them attending school. Mr. P. is a staunch Republican.
When he was about fifteen years old, he joined the Washington Temperance Society, and has been a strong advocate for temperance ever since. From the time he came to Oregon until now, he has not drank any liquor, nor tempted any one else to do so. At the present time Mr. Porter is one of Linn County's most reliable and esteemed citizens. He always manifests great interest in all measures for the public welfare, and more particularly in the advancing of school affairs.
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