Clatsop County OR Archives Biographies.....Laighton, F. Howard April 20, 1879 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/or/orfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Ila Wakley iwakley@msn.com February 16, 2011, 2:47 am Source: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. III, Published 1928, Pages 975 - 977 Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company F. HOWARD LAIGHTON, a representative and successful business man of Seaside, in his native county, is active in the field of real estate and insurance and also conducts an up-to-date garage. He was born at Flavel, Clatsop county, Oregon, April 20, 1879, his parents being F. H. and Sarah Elizabeth (Kinney) Laighton. The mother, who has now passed away, gave the following story of her life to Fred Lockley on January 9, 1922, at her home back of the city hall at Seadside: "My maiden name was Sarah Elizabeth Kinney. I was born at Muscatine, Iowa, August 20, 1845. I was next to the youngest of the seven children of the family. My father, Samuel Kinney, was born in Illinois and was a farmer. My mother, whose maiden name was Maria Ann Porter, was also born in Illinois. My father is a brother of Bob Kinney. Bob Kinney, as you know, is the father of Dr. Alfred Kinney and the other Kinney boys of Astoria. Bob Kinney was a member of the first territorial legislature, which met at Oregon City, July 16, 1849. We started for Oregon in the spring of 1847. We came by way of the newly opened Barlow road across the Cascades and spent the winter of 1847 at Oregon City. The next spring we moved to the old Thompson place, just across the lake from where the town of Gaston is now located. My father traveled pretty well all over the country and finally settled on a donation land claim in the Chehalem valley, about five miles west of where Newberg was later built. Father lived on our donation land claim until his death in 1874. My youngest sister, Ora, now Mrs. Rogers, was born on our donation land claim shortly after our family moved on it, and she still lives there. My eldest sister, Mary, married John Brisbine. She had four children. Some of her family still live around Newberg. My next sister, Ann, married Jack Monroe: They had six children, some of whom are still living in Yamhill county. My brother Andy married Kate Davis of North Yamhill. Lafayette, my next brother, married Sarah Carter; some of their children are living in Yamhill county. My brother Lyman married Julia Folsom of Pendleton. "I was a student at Pacific University at Forest Grove in 1857 and 1858. My mother always claimed that I should have been a boy. I could not learn, or at least I did not want to learn, how to spin, card or weave, nor did I ever like sewing very much. The consequence was that I usually worked on the farm, doing the chores, milking the cows, shocking the wheat, helping to build the rail fences and doing other outdoor work. My husband, F. H. Laighton, and I were married October 1, 1873. Elder Shuck performed the ceremony. I met my husband when he came down from Umatilla with my brother Lyman to visit at our ranch. He and my brother Lyman were partners in a store at Umatilla. What is now Umatilla county up to the time of the Civil war had been part of Wasco county. In September, 1862, they organized eastern Wasco county into the county of Umatilla. What is now known as the city of Umatilla was settled in 1862, and was called Cain's Landing. Later it was called Columbia, after the Columbia river, and still later Umatilla City. The town was incorporated as Umatilla in 1864. The following year they held an election and it was made the county seat of Umatilla county. When the Owyhee mines and the mines in the Boise Basin played out the population of Umatilla drifted elsewhere, and so the county seat was moved to the newly established town of Pendleton. Immediately after our marriage I went to Umatilla, where we lived several years. When I was living up there the principal towns of Umatilla county were Heppner, Pendleton, Weston, Centerville, Meadowville, Pilot Rock, Milton, Midway, Echo, Moorhouse; Hawthorne, Purdy, Lena, the Agency, Pettysville and Snipe. Dave Horn was running a hotel in Umatilla when we first went there. He was an old-time stage driver. Later he was proprietor of a hotel at Pendleton. Among the old-timers of Umatilla county whom I remember best are Mr. Bushey, whose son Glen lives at Pendleton; J. H. Koontz, of Echo; Lot Livermore and Lee Moorhouse. The town of Umatilla was not so rough as it had been in the early '60s. There were saloons in plenty, but the rougher element had moved on. "Along about 1875 or 1876 we moved to Salem, where my husband worked in the flouring mill of my uncle, Bob Kinney. From there we moved to Astoria, where my husband worked in the Kinney salmon cannery. We stayed at Astoria until 1886, when we moved to Wahannah station, a mile from Seaside. My husband died May 16, 1901, shortly after which I moved to Seaside. I have had five children. Albert, my eldest boy, was born November 16, 1874, in Yamhill county. I was living at Umatilla but I came home to Yamhill county shortly before my baby's birth. My next boy, William, was born March 25, 1877, in Astoria. Frank was also born in Astoria, April 20, 1879. Lee is likewise an Astorian and was born April 28, 1882. My son Hugh was born on our ranch at Wahannah, December 10, 1888." Frank Howard Laighton, whose name introduces this article, began his education in a district school, continued his studies in the high school. at Astoria and following his graduation pursued a commercial course in the Portland Business College. After putting aside his textbooks he was employed as assistant bookkeeper by the Clatsop Mill Company of Astoria until 1902, when he went to Seaside, where for twelve years he was connected with the Seaside Lumber Company in the capacity of bookkeeper. In 1916 President Wilson appointed him postmaster at Seaside and he filled the position most acceptably for nearly nine years thereafter. He then opened a real estate and insurance office at Seaside, where he has thus continued in business very successfully to the present time. He handles all kinds of insurance, including fire, life and automobile. In 1925, in partnership with Dan Callahan, he also purchased a garage at Seaside, where he conducts the Buick agency and likewise has a large and well equipped automobile repair shop. In 1903 Mr. Laighton was united in marriage to Miss Nellie Stanley, a native of Seaside, Oregon, and a daughter of Samuel K. and Mary Ann Stanley. Her father conducted Seaside's first hotel, the hostelry having been built by Ben Holladay and being known as the Seaside House. He remained a resident of Seaside to the time of his death, which occurred June 25, 1900. To him and his first wife were born four children, namely: Samuel K., Jr., who is deceased; Mrs. C. C. Lonin, who has also passed away; Mrs. George Goodell, a resident of Portland, Oregon; and Mrs. Nellie Laighton. The mother died when the last named was but a few months old. On the 27th of May, 1877, Mr. Stanley was again married, his second union being with Miss Mary Eliza Grimes. They became the parents of a daughter who is now Mrs. June Oates. Fraternally Mr. Laighton is affiliated with the Masons, belonging to Evergreen Lodge No. 137, A. F. & A. M., of Seaside, and to the Royal Arch Chapter, while both he and his wife are members of the Order of the Eastern Star, the latter being a past matron therein. Mr. Laighton likewise has membership connection with the Knights of Pythias at Seaside and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks at Astoria. He made a very commendable record during six years' service on the city council and was also acting mayor for several months. Mr. and Mrs. Laighton have always lived in Clatsop county and enjoy an extensive and favorable acquaintance within its borders. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/or/clatsop/bios/laighton1520gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/orfiles/ File size: 8.3 Kb