Biography of Tunis Swick, 1902, Grant Co., Oregon
Surnames: Swick, Latourette, Stevenson, Gentry, Cochran, Franklin, Gilmore

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An Illustrated History of Baker, Grant, Malheur and Harney Counties, pub. 1902
by Western Historical Pub. Co. of Chicago. page 466

TUNIS SWICK

Mr. Swick was born in New York state in 1832, being the son of Minor and
Louisa (Latourette) Swick, natives of New York. The next year succeeding his
birth our subject was brought by his parents to Michigan, and there he
received his education and grew to manhood. In 1853 the family came across the
plains and our subject drove a team of oxen the entire distance, and he has
the distinction of having made the trip in his bare feet. When at Council
Bluffs he saw a man hung, and after leaving the Missouri river until they
landed in the Willamette valley they saw no house. The parents located in
Mario ncounty and our subject spent his first winter in Portland, then buta
village. The following year he went to the Siskon mines and for two years
wroguth there, and then the time until 1875 was spent in various places. At
this last date he came to Grant county, locating at Long Creek and taking up
the stock business. About 1880 he repaired to The Dalles and there engaged in
farming, whence, five years later, he removed to Grant county again, locating
at his present place, taking up a homestead and pre-emption, nine miles
southwest from Hamilton. At the present time he has added to his estate until
he and his son are proprietors of a fine domain of two thousand and four
hundred acres. They are engaged in raising stock, mostly sheep, and they are
numbered among the heaviest stockmen of their section. Mr. Swick has always
evinced an interest in the affairs of politics and he has labored steadily and
faithfully for the welfare of the county, having served in the important
office of county commissioner.

In 1861 Mr. Swick married Miss Margaret, a native of Missouri, and daughter of
Samuel Madison and Martha Ann (Stevenson) Gilmore, who came to Oregon in 1843.
The wedding occured in June and the following children have been born to them:
Lyman D., living about twelve miles northeast from Monument, married to Annie
Cochran and the father of two children, Howard and Dewey; William, residing
four miles west from Hamilton, and married to Elsie Franklin, one child having
been born to them; Martha, wife of Charles Gentry, on Cottonwood creek, and
they have one daughter, Mericle. Mr. Gilmore was in the territorial
legislature and was also sheriff of Buchanan county, Missouri, in an early
day. He died in The Dalles in 1895, but the mother is still living near that
city. Mr. Swick's parents died in Yamhill county, Oregon. Our subject and his
family were here during the time of the Bannock and Piute Indian outbreak, in
1878 and while they were safe from the savages in the fortifications at
Longcreek still the Indians burned his improvements, killed his cattle and
stole his horses.