Biography of Henry Workins, 1902, Grant Co., Oregon
Surnames: Workins, Mosier, Fry
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An Illustrated History of Baker, Grant, Malheur and Harney Counties, pub. 1902
by Western Historical Pub. Co. of Chicago. page 465

HENRY WORKINS

Mr. Workins was born in Holmes county, Ohio, in 1839, and received his
education in a German school, the same being throough and well grounded. At
the age of ten he was brought by his parents to Indiana, where they lived
until 1854, and in October of that year they removed to Jackson county,
Missouri. In May, 1857, Henry left Independence, Missouri, to make the trip
across the plains to California, receiving as compensation for his services
while enroute fifty cents per day, and the time consumed was four months and
seventeen days. Landing in Santa Rosa, he made rails for three dollars per
hundred, herded cattle, worked in a blacksmith shop, drove stage between
Cloverdale and Petaluma, then in 1859 turned his attention to farming, which
he continued until May 1, 1863, when he sold a span of horses for five hundred
dollars to secure money to pay the expenses of a trip to Canyon City, and on
June 13, 1863, he reached the desired estination and immediately set to work
for a Frenchman for five dollars per day operating in the mines. He soon
bought some claims above the town for three hundred dollars and the following
March sold them for nine hundred dollars. One the first day of March, 1864, he
bought a one-third interest in a claim just above the court house, and one
month later sold it to John Brown for nine hundred dollars. Following this he
went to Silver City and bought claims and worked them until August, then
returned to Canyon City, on August 13, 1864. He at once bought a claim above
town and after five days' work on it sold it for ten thousand dollars. He then
wen tup the creek to Dead Sheep flat and purchased the Conrad claims and some
property in the Greenhorn district, paying for the latter three thousand three
hundred dollars, On some of these claims his partner worked until he had taken
out one thousand ounces of gold and then left. Mr. Workins secured machinery
and built a ditch to the claims and in the spring of 1867, when the ditch was
finished, he was three thousand dollars in debt, but on March 26 he returned
to the claims on John Day flat from a time of sickness, and in thirty dyas he
had paid this amount and five hundred dollars besides. He worked on these
claims until July 4, 1867, and at this time met met the lady who afterward, in
February, 1868, became his wife, she being Katie Mosier, daughter of E.
Mosier, a pioneer of 1864. To this union were born two children: William Pope,
of Canyon City; Harry E., married to Carrie Fry. On April 7, 1875, Mr. Workins
was called to mourn the death of his beloved companion. She was a woman
beloved and esteemed by all and her memory is dear to all who had the pleasure
of her acquaintance.  In 1888 Mr. Workins married again. He has been a member
of the I.O.O.F. since 1870, and also of the A.O.U.W. Mr. Workins has had much
experience in mining, farming and stock raising, but he has now sold all these
properties and is enjoying the golden years of his life in quiet retirement,
having wroguth well and faithfully in all the industries where he has been
found. He is a respected and highly esteemed resident of the county.