Kootenai County, Idaho: Obituaries - David Wunderlich Culp Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Fred Lewis ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or representation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net *********************************************************************** Source: The Rathdrum Tribune, Obituaries Rathdrum, Kootenai County, ID David Wunderlich Culp b: 5 October 1830 in Shippensburg, PA d: 24 February 1915 in Rathdrum, ID Published on March 5, 1915, in Rathdrum, Idaho OBITUARY: D. W. Culp Had Led Active Life as Western Pioneer. The funeral of D. W. Culp, who passed away Wednesday night of last week after an illness of 22 days, was held at 2 o'clock Friday afternoon. In compliance with his own wish the funeral was held from the residence. Rev. N. S. Hawk officiated, assisted by Rev. J. M. Lavender. The quartette, Messrs., M. B. Layton, and H. A. Hunsley, and Misses Mattie Minzel and Edna Layton, were accompanied by Mrs. Lavender on the piano. Beautiful florals contributed by friends were spread, as final tokens of respect, on the last resting place of the departed in Pine Grove cemetery. David Wunderlich Culp, oldest son of William and Eliza Culp, was born in Shippensburg, Penn., October 5, 1830, died Feb. 24, 1915, aged 84 years, 4 months, 19 days. Three brothers and two sisters preceded him to the grave years ago. Four sisters survive: Miss Sarah E. Culp, age 79, residing in Carlisle, Penn.; Mrs. Anna C. Orr, age 77 residing in Shippensburg, Penn.; Mrs. David A. Walters, age 69, residing in Shippensburg, Penn.; and Mrs. Abbie E. Shamberger, age 62, residing in Harrisburg, Penn. One brother--William--was killed at the age of 17, while serving on the side of the union in the battle of Antietam. In his boyhood he was apprenticed to a tailor and continued to live in his native state until the spring of 1852, when he went west to Illinois. The following year he joined a party of seventeen and crossed the plains by ox team to California where he engaged in placer mining for eight years. He left San Francisco for New York, May 11, 1861 taking passage on the steamship Central America, bound for the Isthmus of Panama, at that time the most expeditious way of traveling from the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast. After a year spent at his old home, he started west in 1862 and with one companion, Dr. Wm. T. Smedley, now residing at Denver, Colorado, he again crossed the plains with one light wagon and yoke of oxen, taking the route through Wyoming into southern Idaho. There one night, after crossing the Portneuf near its confluence with the Snake River, robbers stole away their oxen, leaving the two travelers stranded until they were able to join a party of immigrants with whom they reached eastern Oregon in the fall. The subject of this sketch spent the winter in the Powder river valley and in the following spring went to Boise basin, Idaho, where he again engaged in placer mining, going from there to Lewiston in 1863, and mining at Florence, Warrens and Newsome creek. He remained in Lewiston nearly two years, was elected clerk of the district court, joined in the fruitless effort to prevent the removal of the capital from Lewiston to Boise, was one of the guards over the notorious Magruder murderers between the time of their capture and their execution; and engages actively in starting a project to give Lewiston a water supply from Lake Waha. In the spring of 1865 he followed a new gold excitement and journeyed to Montana over the Mullan road, camping one night enroute at the falls where Spokane is now located. He and his partner, Thomas Patterson, made the first discovery of gold in Lincoln Gulch, Montana, which became and continued for several years a flourishing mining camp. In the spring of 1867 he made his last visit to this old home in Pennsylvania, going by way of Fort Benton and by steamboat down the Missouri river to Omaha, from which the journey east was completed by railroad. In 1868 he crossed the plains back to Montana and resumed his residence at Lincoln where he engaged in the general mercantile business and served as postmaster for several years. On Nov. 19, 1879, he moved with his family from Lincoln to Helmville and engaged in farming until Aug. 19, 1889, when he sold his farm and removed to Thompson Falls, Mont., to place his children near a school. Here he purchased a quarter section of land and continued farming during the subsequent thirteen years. In August, 1902, he sold his land in Montana and moved to Rathdrum, Idaho, where he purchased a home , also the Tribune newspaper printing plant, which he presented to his sons, C. W. and J. R. M. Culp. Here he lived in retirement with his family until the close of his long and active life. On Nov. 20, 1876, he was united in marriage at Helena, Montana to Miss Mary Muffly, and to this union were born six children. A widow and five children survive. One son, Thomas P. Culp, died in Oct. 1899 at the age of 17. Surviving children are, Wm. S., Chas. W., Jos. R. M., and Misses Jennie M. and Elizabeth C. Culp. Among other surviving relatives are C. W. Culp, a nephew, general superintendent of the Pennsylvania Railroad Co., at Richmond, VA; Mrs. Simon H. Walker of Altoona, Penn.; Mrs. Geo. S. Adams of Philadelphia, Penn.; Mrs. Chas. M. Sheaffer of Wayne, Penn.; Mrs. Wm. Barr of Altoona, Penn.; Mrs. Robt. H. Angle of Shippensburg, Penn., nieces; Clifford C. Smith, nephew, of Cameron, Mo.; Mres. W. A. Swartz of Streeter, Ill.,; Mrs. J. C. Akey of Osborne, Mo.; Mrs. R. W. Emerson of Weir City, Kan.; Mrs. Nellie Bailey of Cameron, Mo.; nieces, and Mrs. Theodore Reed of Spokane, Wash., and Miss Salome Titzel, of Mechanicsburg, Penn., cousins. Several old-time friends still live, among whom are General Chas. S. Warren of Butte, Mont. The decease was of the typical western character of pioneer days, self-reliant and independent spirited, a good citizen, a stanch advocate of law and order, and proud of his Americanism. Few remain of the early trail blazers of the Pacific slope, with whom he worked during his youthful days.