Biography of David S. Littlefield, Baker Co. Oregon: Surnames listed: Littlefield, Batchelor, Grant, Alexander, Holloway.

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Transcribed by: W. David Samuelsen
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An Illustrated History of Baker, Grant, Malheur and Harney Counties, pub. 1902
by Western Historical Pub. Co. of Chicago. page 252

DAVID S. LITTLEFIELD

Of all the men who have helped to lay the foundation of Baker county's
institutions none has a better right to receive credit at the hands of the
historian than he whose name gives caption to this review. Mr. Littlefield is
certainly the pioneer and pathfinder of the region or one of them, for though
the soil of the country many have been pressed before his advent by the  feet
of advancing armies of colonization and enlightenment, to him belongs the
honor of having discovered the metal which drew permament settlers hither and
made the region a place of happy homes and one lighted by the lamps of
civilization. Rightly may our subject be denominated the father of Baker
county, for he it was, with his few associates, who not only first settled in
the section, but who took the initial steps toward the organziation of a local
government. With truth it may be said that the history of Mr. Littlefield and
his coadjutors is the history of Baker county during the first few years of
its existence.

Mr. Littlefield is a son of Rufus and Sarah (Batchelor) Littlefield, his
mother being of the good old Puritan stock. Born in Prospect, Waldo county,
Maine he spent the initial twelve years of his life there, receiving a
somewhat meager common school education. The dauntless spirit of the lad then
manifested itself, and he went to sea, and from that time until 1850, his home
was on the deep. He then came by water to California, where he was engaged in
placer mining until 1859, going then to the Fraser river country, in which he
sought for treasure during one season. He washed out about one thousand
dollars worth of gold dust, and with this returned to California. In 1861, he
came to Portland, Oregon, intending to go to Oro Fino, but he was there
dissuaded by other California miners who had been disappointed in that
section. he informs us that Portland at that time consisted of one wooden
hotel building and a fe wshacks, and that the people had a goodly supply of
fruit but little else. Mr. Littlefield wa one of those who made an expedition
in search of the mythical "Blue Bucket" diggings, and after his return from
this disappointing trip, he set out with Henry Griffin to the eastern Oregon
country, and they discovered gold in the canyon since known as Griffin's
gulch. At that time there was not a white man, except the members of the
party, this side of the Blue mountains. During the winter of 1861, the little
mining party ran short of provisions, so a trip to Walla Walla became
necessary. They, of course, told of their good luck and the stories were
greatly exaggerated and widely circulated, resulting in a great excitement and
a rush the following spring. The merchants with whom they dealt deliberately
exaggerated their reports, their object being to create a rush and augment
their trade. When in April the advance guard reached Mr. Littlefield's mining
camp the people therein thought for a time that the Indians were coming, but
of course soon discovered their mistake. 

Some of those who were in the first rush discovered gold on the site of the
present Auburn, and thither our subject went, obtaining a claim. Godl was also
discovered in numerous other places and excitement ran high. It should be
remembered that at this time all of eastern Oregon constituted Wasco county,
of which The Dalles was the county seat. The necessity for a smaller division
and a seat of government nearer home soon began to be felt, so the miners
organized and took the initial steps toward securing the erection of Baker
county. In response to their petition, the governor appointed two executive
officers, a county judge and a county sheriff to maintain order. The men named
were respectively Wilson and Gray. It should be recorded that after the
initial election were held within the limits of the present Baker county, a
man named Griffin was killed by his partner, one Herrington, in a most
dastardly manner. The murderer was captured and taken to Auburn, where it was
decided by vote to send him to The Dalles for trial and punishment. Two men
were given fifty dollars to take him there. Letters to the sheriff at The
Dalles failed to elicit any information concerning the prisoner and it was at
length discovered that he and his two custodians were mining on Salmon river
and enjoying excellent fortune. The miners determined they would try the next
man charged with crime themselves.

Space forbids the tracing of Mr. Littlefield's very useful career further in
details. He still retains some of his mining properties, but latterly has
given much attention to farming and the rearing of cattle and horses on his
farm near Auburn. He has been quite as successful in the raising of horses as
he was formerly in mining, and his stock have found their ways into all the
principal marts of the United States.

In Auburn, on December 13, 1872, our subject married Mrs. Mary A., widow of
Dr. Grant, a pioneer of 1862, and proprietor of the first drug store in the
county, as also of the first pharmacy in Baker City. To them were born two
children, Charles Grant, a resident of Baker City, and Isophine, wife of Prof.
Alexander of this county. By a later marriage Mr. Littlefield has three
children: Rufus W., engaged in the stock business at Auburn; Eva, wife of
Oliver Holloway, of Baker City; and Grace, wife of Wallace Holloway, engaged
in the coal and ice business in Baker City.