Umatilla-Multnomah County OR Archives Biographies.....Furnish, William Jeffers August 16, 1862 - June 3, 1924
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Ila L. Wakley iwakley@msn.com May 16, 2009, 1:44 pm

Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company

     WILLIAM JEFFERS FURNISH.  One of the ablest, most progressive and 
farseeing business men of the Columbia river valley was the late William J. 
Furnish, whose efforts not only gained for him material success, but also 
contributed in definite measure to the advancement of the communities with 
which he was identified. He was a man of clear-headed judgment in practical 
matters, backed his faith with his effort and money, and commanded the uniform 
confidence of all with whom he was associated. He was born in Missouri, August 
16, 1862, and was a son of James Franklin and Eliza Frances (Williams) 
Furnish. When he was three years old, in 1864, his father started across the 
plains with his family, with Oregon as his destination, but was taken ill and 
died on the way.  The widowed mother brought her family on to Oregon, stopping 
first at The Dalles afterward lived in Dallas four years and then went to 
Pendleton, Umatilla county, where she lived for years. She died in Portland.

     William J. Furnish was reared and educated at Pendleton and pursued a 
business course at the Portland Business College. He engaged in the wool 
commission business, in Eastern Oregon in which he met with success and he 
acquired an interest in the Pendleton Savings Bank, of which he was president 
for many years. He was also the organizer of the Furnish Ditch Company, 
through the agency of which over ten thousand acres of land were irrigated in 
Umatilla county. In other ways he showed interest in the development of his 
community and was influential and prominent in the promotion of its interests. 
He was also active in public affairs, serving as deputy United States marshal 
and served two terms as sheriff of Umatilla county and several years as mayor 
of Pendleton. Some years ago Mr. Furnish moved to Portland and organized the 
Furnish Investment Company, of which he was president until his death, which 
occurred June 3, 1924.

     At Pendleton, Oregon, Mr. Furnish was united in marriage to Miss Jessie 
M. Starkweather, who was born in Illinois and was a daughter of Alex Hamilton 
and Theresa M. (Clark) Starkweather. The family came to Oregon in the '80s and 
shortly afterwards located at Pendleton. Mrs. Furnish is now residing in 
Portland. There were two children by this marriage, Kathleen and William E. 
The daughter married Stewart J. Moore, of Hood River, who is connected with 
the First National Bank there and they have one daughter, Virginia Moore.

     Mr. Furnish was a stanch republican in his political views and ever 
maintained a deep interest in public affairs, holding well defined opinions on 
the issues of the day. He was a man of alert mentality, unswerving in his 
integrity, determined and persevering in everything he undertook, and was 
strongly marked by those traits of character which commend a man to the good 
opinion of his fellowmen. He was the architect of his own fortune and 
throughout his busy life he commanded to a marked degree the unqualified 
respect and esteem of those who knew him, being uniformly regarded as a good 
citizen in the broadest sense of the term, so that his death was a distinct 
loss to the community which had been honored by his citizenship.


Additional Comments:
History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. II, 
Pages 714-715

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