Hood River County OR Archives Biographies.....Winchell, Virgil August 30, 1865 - 
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Ila L. Wakley iwakley@msn.com June 1, 2010, 9:46 pm

Source: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. III, Published 1928, Pages 394 - 397
Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company

     VIRGIL WINCHELL, who is operating an excellent farm and fruit orchard in 
the Hood River valley, has lived here all his life, having been the second 
child born in what is now Hood River county, and has done his full part in 
promoting the development and upbuilding of the valley. He was born about five 
miles south of Hood River on the 30th of August, 1865, a son of Jerome W. and 
Julianne (Neal) Winchell, the former born at Calais, Maine, in 1829, and the 
latter at Oregon City, Oregon, in 1845. His father was a shipbuilder by trade 
and in 1857, by way of the isthmus of Panama, came to the Pacific coast, 
following mining in California for several years. In 1860 he went to The 
Dalles, Oregon, and in the following year took up a homestead in the Hood 
River valley. The land was heavily timbered and, after building a house and 
barn, Mr. Winchell entered upon the task of getting the land cleared for 
cultivation. He cleared off about eight acres and lived there a few years, 
when, his health failing, he moved back to The Dalles, where his death 
occurred in 1870. In 1860, at The Dalles, Mr. Winchell was married to Miss 
Julianne Neal, who was born in Oregon City and was a daughter of Peter Neal. 
Her father was a native of Virginia and in 1844 made the overland trip to 
Oregon, of which he was among the earliest pioneers. He located first at 
Oregon City, where he was employed at various kinds of work, though he was a 
gunsmith by trade. Later he moved to Marion county, this state, where he took 
up a donation claim near Sublimity. He lived there until 1859, when he came to 
the Hood River valley and in 1861 took up a homestead, about five miles south 
of Hood River. The land was heavily covered with timber and the only road to 
it was a mere trail. He built a house and cleared part of the land, and also 
built and operated the first sawmill in the Hood River valley. The hard winter 
of 1861-2 killed all of his livestock, and the high water which followed the 
heavy snow carried away his sawmill, so he was left in a serious financial 
condition, but he was a man of great courage and determination and immediately 
rebuilt the sawmill, in the operation of which he made money. He hauled the 
lumber to Hood River with oxen and then rafted it up the river to The Dalles, 
where he found a ready market for it. He continued to live there until 1883, 
when he moved to Roseburg, Oregon, where his death occurred. To Mr. and Mrs. 
Winchell were born four children, Markham, deceased, Josephine Dittmer, 
Arabella Huffman and Virgil. The father died in 1870 and in 1873 the mother 
became the wife of John O. Divers, to which union were born seven children, 
namely: Mrs. Olive English, of Odell, Oregon; James, who lives in Montana; 
Mrs. Mary Sellinger, of Vancouver, Washington; John O., deceased; Mrs. Julia 
Estey, of Butte, Montana; Perry, deceased; and Newton, who lives in 
California. The mother passed away in 1883.

     Virgil Winchell was educated in the district school in the Hood River 
valley, after which he helped to clear the home farm for his mother. In 1882 
he took up a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres adjoining the home 
place, it too being timber land, and, after building a small house, he began 
clearing the tract. He has cleared about forty-four acres and, with what he 
cleared of his mother's land, has cleared about ninety acres of land 
altogether. He has fifty-five acres planted to apples and pears, the remainder 
being devoted to hay and pasture. He has prospered in his farming operations 
and in 1910 built an attractive, modern home. He specializes in fruit raising 
and he erected a large packing house, seventy by one hundred feet, completely 
equipped with washing and grading machines, and packs his own crops, having a 
storage capacity in the house for twelve thousand boxes of apples. He has an 
unusually fine orchard, and packs and sells his fruit, in which line he has 
met with very satisfactory success.

     Mr. Winchell was married on April 2, 1887, to Miss Margaret Knapp, who 
was born in California, a daughter of George and Vealy Knapp, both now 
deceased. Mr. Knapp was a contractor on railroad construction and was 
prominent in business circles. To Mr. and Mrs. Winchell were born eight 
children, namely: Arlene, who is the wife of Max Moore, of Hood River, and the 
mother of two children, Barbara and Florence; Mrs. Edith Dietrich, who lives 
in Los Angeles, California; George, who is married and lives in Oklahoma City, 
Oklahoma; Joseph W., of Los Angeles, California; Mrs. Grace Hansen, of Hood 
River; Lena, who died at the age of three years; Mrs. Maud Webber, who lives 
at The Dalles and is the mother of a daughter, Norma June; and Mrs. Margaret 
Husband, of White Salmon, Washington, who has a son, Thomas Virgil. Mrs. 
Winchell died February 28, 1906, and in 1914 Mr. Winchell was married to Miss 
Helene Powell, a native of Pennsylvania, and they have two children, Ruthanna 
and Virgil Carter. Mr. Winchell is a democrat in his political views and has 
taken an active interest in local public affairs, having served on the school 
board for twenty-five years, and was offered the nomination for county 
commissioner, but declined. He is a member of the Benevolent Protective Order 
of Elks, the Knights of Pythias and the Woodmen of the World. A progressive 
and public-spirited citizen, he has been successful in his business affairs. 
As a neighbor he is courteous and accommodating, so that throughout the valley 
he is deservedly held in high regard by his fellowmen, being regarded as one 
of its solid and dependable citizens. 

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