Biography of William H. Gleason, 1902, Baker Co. Oregon: Surnames: Gleason, Fowler, Farnham. ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation 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 and not to be removed separately without written permission. ************************************************************************ Transcribed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: W. David Samuelsen - November 2001 ************************************************************************ An Illustrated History of Baker, Grant, Malheur and Harney Counties, pub. 1902 by Western Historical Pub. Co. of Chicago. page 256 WILLIAM H. GLEASON Mr. Gleason was born in Canaan, Maine, on June 28, 1852, the son of Moses and Lydia (Fowler) Gleason, scions of old colonial families. He grew to manhood in his native town, receiving a common school training, but when he arrived at the age of twenty, he went to Michigan and engaged in the lumber business as an employee. He busies himself thus for about two years, then went back to Maine, where he lived for the ensuing seven years, his means of gaining a livelihood being agriculture. Going then to Wisconsin, he spent three more years in the lumbering industry, after which he came out to Oregon. He settled in Union county, on the Grande Ronde river, and resumed the line of activity he had before followed in Michigan and Wisconsin, continuing in the same until 1893. In that year, however, he removed to Sumpter and embarked in the meat market business, and in that he busied himself until 1899, since which year he has been practically out of all lines of activity except mining. He has interests in the Greenhorn district, on Cracker creek and on Deer creek, all of which are famous mining districts. When the town of Sumpter was first incorporated, our subject was honored by being accorded a seat in its council chambers, and at the first general election he was the choice of the people for the mayoralty, the duties which office were discharged by him with great faithfulness and with ability and good judgement. After serving as mayor of the town for two years, he was elected county commissioner on the Democratic ticket, and that office is still his. Mr. Gleason is a thoroughly public spirited man and always has the interests of his town and county near his heart. Fraternally our subject is affiliated with the time-honored order of Masons, in which he has attained to the Scottish Rite, his membership in this degree being in Portland. His marriage was solemnized in Baker City, on October 23, 1895, when Mrs. F. D. Farnham, of Maine, became his wife.