Oregon Republican League: History 104 Biographies

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.

An Illustrated History of Central Oregon, embracing Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam, Wheeler, Crook, Lake and Klamath Counties, State of Oregon
Western Historical Publishing Company Publishers Spokane, Washington (1905)
Pages 402-403

CHARLES H. SOUTHERN is one of the pioneers of the Boyd country where he has dwelt constantly since coming to Oregon. He is well known business man and property owner and one of the most prominent citizens of the place. He was born in Iowa, on May 14, 1855, the son of Martin and Elizabeth (Bolton) Southern, natives of Virginia. The father's parents were also born in Virginia. The mother came from an old Virginia family. In the fall of 1871, the family came to Oregon and settled in Wasco county near Boyd. The father died on May 5, 1900. Our subject always lived with his parents and upon his father's death, he purchased the old homestead from his mother, which is a residence and eighty acres where he now lives, and four hundred acres of choice wheat land adjoining. Charles H. was educated in the place where the family lived in his early days and was married on November 4, 1878, at The Dalles. The lady of his choice was Miss Emma Rice, who was born in Lane county, Oregon. Her father, Horace Rice, was a native of Ohio and his father died when he was a small lad. He came to Oregon with his mother and brothers and sisters in 1851. His mother had married Beckwith Cook. She died in Polk county, Oregon, in 1874. Mr. Southern has no full brothers living, one half brother, William, two sisters, Mrs. Ella Rice and Mrs. Lenna Seeley (should be Seely). Mr. and Mrs. Southern have two children, Ethel, wife of Roy D. Butler, a merchant at Boyd and mentioned elsewhere in this work, and Harry dwelling at home. Mrs. Southern has the following named brothers and sisters, George, Austin C., Mrs. Etta Waterman and Mrs. Nellie Mann.

Mr. and Mrs. Southern are both devout members of the Methodist church while he holds the office of trustee. He also belongs to the W.W. Politically, he is a Republican and active in the support of the principles of his party, being frequently at the conventions and also taking a keen interest in the campaigns. He has been school director many terms and is a zealous supporter of educational advancement. Mr. Southern laid out the townsight of Boyd in 1895 but he had been in business there since 1889 as a general merchant. About 1899, he sold his store to his son-in-law and now gives his attention to the oversight of his property interests.

Page 402-403, An Illustrated History of Central Oregon, embracing Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam, Wheeler, Crook, Lake and Klamath Counties, State of Oregon, Western Historical Publishing Company Publishers Spokane, Wash., 1905.

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"History of Central Oregon " (1906)
Biographical Sketches of Lake County
page 900

SNIDER,Charles U.

Charles U. Snider one of the earliest pioneers of Lake county, and one who, probably, has done a lion’s share toward the up-building and development of the county and especially the city of Lakeview, where he now resides, is the man whose name forms the caption for this sketch. Mr. Snider came to Jackson county, now Lake county, March 12, 1869, and soon after his advent there he engaged in clerical work for his uncle, A. Snider, who conducted a merchandise store at Camp Warren. He began as bookkeeper but in the fall of the following year he assumed the management of a store, also belonging to his uncle at Camp Harney. Two years later he took charge of a store at Willow Ranch, in California, six miles from the Oregon line. In 1874 he formed a partnership with his uncle under the firm style of A. & C.U. Snider, and in April 1876, built the first business house in Lakeview. In 1890 Mr. Snider was appointed by President Harrison to the position of receiver for the United States land office at Lakeview, which position he filled four years at that time, and on October 12, 1903, he received an appointment to the same office at the hands of President Roosevelt, so is now serving the first been a Republican. He cast his first president vote for General Grant and has voted the Republican ticket ever since. He has been continuously in the mercantile business until 1904. He has built and own grist and sawmills in different parts of the county, and has also been engaged more or less in the business of farming and stock raising. He has always been actively interested in the promotion of education and has ever been ready to donate substantial aid toward the erection of churches and all institutions making for the moral betterment of his community.

Charles U. Snider is a native of Shawneetown, Illinois, born March 20, 1846. His father was Joseph U. Snider, a native of Germany, who came to the United States at the age of eighteen years and located in Mansfield, Ohoi. From that city he went to Shawneetown in 1842, and their died at the age of seventy-eight, in the year 1893. Margaret (Dorsey) Snider was our subject’s mother. she was born in Hagerstown, Maryland and died in 1872.

Before coming west Mr. Snider received a common school education, and in 1862 he came a clerk on an Ohio river steamboat. In this capacity he worked until coming to Oregon. He returned to the east in 1876, and was there married, May 2 of that year, to Miss Mary E.McCallen, a daughter of Andrew and Mary A. (Castle) McCallen, of Shawneetown, Illinois. To this marriage five children have been born, two of whom died during infancy. The three now living are; Warner B. married to Frances Jones, Mae and Clarence U. the firs named is now city recorder of Lakeview.

Mr. Snider is prominently identified with the fraternity interests of his city, being a member of the Blue Lodge, A.F. and A.M. , Lakeview lodge,No. 63, I.O.O.F., of which he is a past grand, and of the A.O.U.W.

He has a considerable amount of city property in Lakeview, including a brick and a frame store building and a first class home. He is one of the first pioneers of Lakeview, and is looked upon by the public generally as one of her first and best citizens.