COL. DANIEL J. ZENT - Biography

From "History of North Washington" Published 1904

Transcribed by: Candy Grubb (candyg@theofficenet.com)
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COL. DANIEL J. ZENT
    Col. Daniel J. Zent, a sterling business man of ability in
Colville, is best known as the locator of the property and the
promoter of the company known as the Jefferson Marble company, one
of the finest properties and leading companies in the county.  They
have an immense property and the quality of marble is equal to the
best ever discovered in the world up to this time.  Col. Zent is
president and manager of this enterprise and is pressing the work in
first class manner, while he is putting out much of the products of
the mine, not only to make the property known but is handling in a
commercial way a good output and will in the near future gently
increase this.
    Daniel J. Zent was born in Buffalo, New York, on May 8, 1839,
the son of P.J. and Catherine (Ebelhoer) Zent, natives of France.
The father came to Buffalo in 1827.  He was one of the rear guard of
Napoleon's army at the time of the retreat from Moscow and was
captured with one thousand men, being one of ten that were finally
released, the rest perishing by reason of hardship.  The mother's
people had much the same experience and they never received proper
remuneration from the French government.  Our subject received his
education in Buffalo and when sixteen came to Illinois and later went
to Kansas, arriving there during the interesting days of border
ruffianism.  Remaining a time, he went on to Colorado.  He was one of
the first men in California gulch.  In June 1862, he enlisted in
Company E, Second Colorado Infantry under Colonel Leavenworth and went
to the seat of war passing through Indian territory and Missouri.
Later they were consolidated with eight hundred more men and being
mounted were called the Second Colorado Calvary.  They fought Quantrell
and repelled Price and then were sent to the plains to fight Indians.
In July 1865, Mr. Zent was discharged, having served with distinction
for three and one half years.  He settled in Kansas and farmed, then went
to Colorado and did mining and merchandising.  In 1877, he came to
Oregon and Washington.  In 1878, he was burned out by the savages of the
Bannock war but built again and sold out in 1880.  He journeyed to the
sound and did dairying for some time and in 1894, he came to Ritzville,
Washington.  He Colonel Zent operated a first class hotel for four years
and in 1898, he came to Colville and entered the mercantile field.
As soon as the discovery of marble was made, he located a half section,
organized the Jefferson Marble company and sold out his store and devoted
his entire time to the development of the properties.  His excellent
success is seen when we note that the property is already a producer
and has gained recognition from all roads west of the Mississippi.
He has fine machinery of the most approved kind and is constantly
adding more and the prospectus of the company shows a magnificent
property.  The company has expended fifty thousand dollars to develop
the property and are constantly putting in more and the excellent
quality of their products, the exhaustless quantity and the ready
demand all testify of the real worth of the enterprise.
    In August, 1865, Col. Zent married Miss Charlotte P., daughter
of William and Priscilla (Thuston) Woodruff, natives of New York.
The father was a physician and settled in Meadville, Pennsylvania, in
early times.  He practiced there until death in 1849.  The mother died
in 1891.  The father was connected with the Hyde family of England.
Colonel Zent is a prominent Republican and his popularity has often
declared by his election to important offices.  He is a member of the
G.A.R., having held all the chairs, and of the K.P. also.  Mrs. Zent
is a member of the Relief Corps.  Col. Zent was a member of the
Washington state committee for the World's fair in Chicago.
    Colonel Zent is also a owner of a number of mineral properties.
Among them is one, of which he is sole owner and manager, called the
Frisco Standard.  It has showings to equal any in this vicinity.  The
ore assays three hundred and forty-eight ounces of silver, nine percent
copper, twenty-three percent lead, and eight dollars in gold.  The
property contains an abundance of ore, while there is a large tonnage
on the dump awaiting the making of a wagon road.
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