Umatilla County OR Archives Biographies.....Huston, James T. September 20, 1853 - 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Carlene Still crstill@oregontrail.net September 26, 2006, 5:39 am

Author: Colonel William Parsons 

Page 474, 475

James T. Huston
	The gifted and enterprising citizen whose name heads this article and 
whose life of energy and industry, directed by ability of a high order, has 
done much to redeem nature's wastes and place Umatilla county to the front in 
the state, is here accorded a place of representation among that worthy band 
of pioneers where he ever wrought with faithfulness and assiduity.  His 
parents, John M. and Pomelia Huston, were natives of the Blue Grass state, 
whence they migrated early to Missouri, where our subject was born on 
September 20, 1853, and then to California in the primitive days of pilgrimage 
across the plains with mule and ox teams. In this last mentioned state they 
both sleep in Lakeport, Lake county. In that county our subject passed his 
later boyhood days and completed the education begun in the district schools 
in Missouri. His advent into Umatilla county was in 1880, having farmed seven 
years in California for himself previous to this. Here he settled on a 
homestead on Camas prairie, which he still owns with as much more acquired by 
purchase, where he raises timothy and grain hay, together with some stock. In 
1898, securing a mail contract from Pendleton to Ukiah, he moved to the latter 
place and bought a hotel and barn and put a stage line on the route. He was 
one of the six original incorporators of the Camas Land Company, holding the 
office of president of that corporation until he sold out in 1901.
	He was married, in Lake county, California, on January 6, 1878, to 
Miss Belle Rippey, a native of that state, whose parents, Gibson and Elizabeth 
Rippey, now deceased, were natives of Kentucky and old "Forty-niners" to 
California. To bless this union we note the advent of two children, Harry H., 
born in Athena, and Louis G., born in Camas. He is a member of Eureka Lodge, 
No. 32, I. O. O. F., of Pendleton, having joined the order in Lake county, 
California, when twenty-one years old; also belongs to United Artisans, 
Assembly No. 78, of Ukiah. Mrs. Huston is a Rebekah, belonging to Lupyomma 
Lodge, of Lake county, California. They both belong to the United Brethren 
church of Ukiah, where they are highly esteemed, as also among all their 
acquaintances.
`	Mr. Huston was eleven years of age when he crossed the plains, and 
distinctly remembers several Indian fights, among which was one on Green 
river, Colorado, where their train of eighty wagons, manned by one hundred and 
twenty men, besides women and children, was divided and one portion was 
attacked in the early morning by one thousand Indians, led by a white man. 
Charge after charge was made by the savages to secure the stock, which attacks 
were bravely repulsed until noon, when a terrible struggle was precipitated by 
an unusually fierce onset by the redskins. To repel this every woman and child 
that could discharge a fire arm were active in the fight, and so thoroughly 
did the whites do the work that the Indians were chased completely away, 
carrying their dead on their ponies.  The immigrants lost thirteen killed, 
among which were two women and two children. Again at "Sink of Humboldt" four 
of the savages sneaked into camp one night and were making off with the mules 
when the guard shot one of them, thus saving the animals. The train being so 
large is presumed to be the reason that a fight did not occur at this point 
also.


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. 

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