Umatilla County OR Archives Biographies.....Froome, George M. October 4, 1853 - ************************************************ 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: Carlene Still crstill@oregontrail.net October 9, 2006, 6:26 am Author: Colonel William Parsons Page 481 George M. Froome George M. Froome was born in Canada, October 4, 1853. His parents were James and Jeanette Froome. His father was born in December, 1819, and died at Walla Walla in 1901. His mother was born in 1829 and died in November, 1898, in this county. Both are buried at Athena. In 1860 they removed from Canada to New York. Later they turned their faces toward the Pacific coast and came thither via the Nicaragua route, crossing the Isthmus on mules and thence to San Francisco by ship. They engaged in farming in California, Solano county, until 1876. Then they started for the Washington country, and landed at Walla Walla. The following year they came to Milton, Oregon, and operated the City Hotel for two years and then moved to Athena and built the St. Nicholas Hotel, which they operated until the time of the death of the father in 1901. He was a prominent and active member of the Methodist church and a leading citizen of the county. There were four children in the family: George M., the subject of this sketch; John E., hotel man at Athena; James I., living at Athena; and Mollie, deceased. Mr. George M. Froome received his education in California and remained there until seventeen years of age and then turned toward the British Columbia mines, where he operated for a time and then returned to California and engaged in freighting until 1876, when he came to Walla Walla with his father. Here he was ready for what might be in hand to do and soon was dispatched with a drove of cattle for Idaho; upon the completion of this enterprise he returned to Walla Walla and accepted a position as foreman for Small Bros. In 1877 he went to Lewiston, Idaho, and continued there for one year and then returned to this county and took up freighting again for seven years. As the railroads began to make their appearance in this country the freighter saw that it was time for him to turn toward some other occupation and accordingly Mr. Froome took up the livery business, which he has followed ever since. He is located in Pendleton and is without doubt among the leaders in this line of business. The same energy and good judgment that made him successful in the enterprises of his early life mark him now in his business, and the experience of added years gives him a standing among business men that is truly enviable. Umatilla county may well be proud of her enterprising citizen, and the confidence and patronage that he enjoys and justly merits shows the esteem in which he is held by his fellow citizens. He was married in California in the year 1875, to Miss Waunetta Wells, a native of that state. She died at Waitsburg, Washington, in 1897. Her father, George R. Wells, was an early pioneer of California. Mr. Fromme has four children: Hattie E., wife of Dr. Merridity, of San Francisco; Eva D., a graduate of the Monmouth Normal, now teaching; Mabel M., wife of Mr. Hessel, a merchant of San Francisco; Mascoe G., at home. Additional Comments: An Illustrated History of Umatilla County by Colonel William Parsons and of Morrow County by W. S. Shiach with a brief outline of the early history of the State of Oregon. W. H. Lever, Publisher 1902. Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Oregon Biographies Project. Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the individual featured in the biographies. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/or/umatilla/bios/froome237gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/orfiles/ File size: 4.0 Kb