Columbia County OR Archives Biographies.....Colvin, W. B. September 17, 1860 - ************************************************ 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 L. Wakley iwakley@msn.com May 31, 2010, 7:49 pm Source: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. III, Published 1928, Pages 373 - 374 Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company W. B. COLVIN. Columbia county owes its prosperity very largely to its industrious, enterprising and progressive farmers, among whom is numbered W. B. Colvin, of Marshland, who, after many years of active and successful effort, is now practically retired, enjoying the fruits of his former years of labor. Mr. Colvin, was born in Adams county, Iowa, September 17, 1860, and is a son of John H. and Elsie Jane (Newkirk) Colvin, who were natives of Indiana. In the '40s John H. Colvin moved to Iowa, his being one of the first nine families to settle in Adams county, and there he engaged in farming until 1865, when he sold out and came to Oregon, crossing the plains with mule teams and covered wagons. Locating at Oakland, Douglas county, he ran a sawmill for one year, and also took up a homestead on the Calipooia river. His land was partly covered with timber, a large part of which he cleared off, and there farmed until 1871, when he sold that place and moved to Lewis River, Washington, where he bought a farm, on which he lived until about 1879. Selling out there, he moved to Marshland, Oregon, where he lived retired to the time of his death, which occurred in 1909. His wife passed away in 1874. Mr. Colvin served one term as auditor of Adams county, Iowa. To him and his wife were born four children, namely: Thomas, deceased; Wesley; Henry and W. B. Henry was one of the best known of the pioneer loggers of the northwest. He first did logging with ox-teams, then with donkey engines and finally with the grip wheel. He usually employed a large force of workmen and never charged a man for his board. He sold out in 1896 and now lives in Portland. W. B. Colvin received his educational training in the public schools of Washington, and for sixteen years thereafter worked in logging camps, driving bull teams during twelve years of that period. In 1883 he bought one hundred and sixty acres of land, part timber and part prairie, one mile east of Marshland, Columbia county. He logged off the timber, clearing a large part of the land, and made many permanent and substantial improvements, developing the place into a valuable and productive farm. In 1892 he erected a large barn, and in 1900 built the attractive home in which the family still lives, while at a later date he put up a modern silo. He has a fine herd of thirty Guernsey dairy cows, and raises abundant crops of hay and oats, as well as corn for silage. Recently he has leased the ranch to his sons, who are successfully operating it. On April 2, 1881, Mr. Colvin was united in marriage to Miss Mary Louvina Lingenfelter, who was born in Westport, Oregon, and is a daughter of William E. and Mary C. (Bryant) Lingenfelter. The former was born at Liberty, Missouri, and the latter in Indiana. The father crossed the plains, with ox teams and covered wagons, in 1851, and located at Hillsboro, Washington county, Oregon. After farming there two years, he went to the gold mines at Jacksonville, Oregon, where he mined for two years. During that time he fought in the Rogue River Indian war of 1855-56. In 1863 he came to Marshland and took up a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres, which he sold soon afterward and, moving to Westport, worked in a sawmill for John West. In 1867 he bought one hundred and sixty acres of river bottom land at Marshland, on which he farmed until 1881, when he sold out and moved to Pacific county, Washington. There he bought a farm, on which he lived until 1902, when he sold it and moved to Umatilla county, in eastern Oregon, where he bought a small truck farm, on which he lived until his death, April 8, 1917. His wife died March 25, 1903. They became the parents of five children, namely: George Lawrence, who was born at Cornelius, Washington county, Oregon, and lives at Marshland; Mrs. Alice English, who lives at White Bluff, Washington; Mrs. H. L. Colvin, of Portland; Mary L., Mrs. W. B. Colvin, and Mrs. Sarah Colvin, of Hubbard, Oregon. To Mr. and Mrs. Colvin have been born fifteen children, as follows: Arthur, who died in 1892; Mrs. Susan Graham, who is the mother of five children, Arnold, Melvin, Elinor, Ethel and Eugene; Frank, who died in 1895; Mrs. Lena Manary, of Marshland; Elmer, who is at home; Mrs. Edith Ward, who has a son, Clifford; Fred, who lives at Deer Island, Oregon, and is married and has a daughter, Blanche; Maude, at home; Agnes, who died in 1898; Howard, who is married and lives in Portland; Mrs. Mildred Nicholsen, who is the mother of two children, Gilbert and Dorothy; Archie and Harold, at home; Evans, who is married and has a daughter, Shirley May; and Electa, at home. At one time Mr. and Mrs. Colvin had nine children in school. Elmer and Howard Colvin are veterans of the world war, having been among the first to enlist, and were engaged in transport service. Elmer crossed the Atlantic nineteen times on the steamship "Leviathan." Mr. Colvin is a public spirited man, a strong advocate of good schools and improved highways, and he served many years as a member of the school board at Marshland. He is a member of Clatskanie Lodge, No. 160, I. O. O. F., in which he has passed through the chairs, and Mrs. Colvin is a member of the Daughters of Rebekah. They have consistently supported every measure for the betterment of their community, giving generously to all worthy benevolent causes, while in their home the true spirit of hospitality and good cheer has always been in evidence. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/or/columbia/bios/colvin1113gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/orfiles/ File size: 6.2 Kb