Wasco County OR Archives Biographies.....Evans, Leander November 6, 1849 - 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Ila L. Wakley iwakley@msn.com May 19, 2010, 3:08 pm

Source: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. III, Published 1928, Pages 298 - 299
Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company

     LEANDER EVANS, one of the leading and successful fruit growers in the 
northwestern part of Wasco county, Oregon, his well improved farm being near 
Mosier, has lived on this place over forty years and is regarded as one of his 
community's best citizens. Mr. Evans was born in Bloomington, Illinois, on the 
6th of November, 1849, a son of Samuel and Evaline (King) Evans, the former a 
native of Licking county, Ohio, and the latter of Champaign, Illinois. The 
paternal grandfather, William Evans, moved to Illinois about 1822, taking up a 
homestead, on which he laid out the townsite of Bloomington. He built the 
first house in the town and it became a popular stopping place for emigrants. 
There he lived until his death, at the age of ninety-three years. He was a man 
of strong character, was public-spirited and commanded uniform respect. Both 
of Mr. Evans' parents are deceased, the father dying in Mosier, Oregon, in 
1901, and the mother in 1902.

     Leander Evans attended the public schools of Bloomington to the eighth 
grade, after which he remained at home, assisting his father on the farm, 
during the summers, while during the winters for five years he worked in the 
car shops of the Chicago & Alton Railroad, at Bloomington. In 1875 he went to 
Kansas and bought one hundred and sixty acres of land in Sumner county. 
Building a dug-out sod house, he engaged in farming operations, raising wheat, 
cattle and hogs, and remained there until 1882, when he sold out and went to 
Colorado, where he worked in the mines, and also freighted to the mines at 
Chaffee, on the Arkansas river. At the end of a year, he returned to Kansas, 
where he resumed farming, being so engaged until 1887, when he came to Mosier, 
Wasco county, Oregon, and took up a homestead of one hundred and eighty acres, 
one mile southeast of town. The land was covered with a heavy growth of timber 
and, after building a small box house, he began clearing the land. He now has 
sixty-five acres under cultivation, about sixty acres being in fruit, mainly 
prunes, cherries, apples and pears, the remainder of the land being in pasture 
and woods.

     In 1875 Mr. Evans was united in marriage to Miss Mary E. Swasey, who was 
born in Iowa, and is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Swasey, both of whom 
are deceased, Mr. Swasey dying in 1889 and the mother when her daughter was a 
small child. Mr. and Mrs. Evans have two children. George C., who was born in 
Kansas, is married and has had nine children, Lloyd; Florence; Leonard; Alvin 
and Alvy, twins; Ora and Flora, both of whom are deceased; Mary; and Walter. 
Fred E. Evans, who was born in Colorado and graduated from Philomath College, 
Oregon, in 1903, was married and is the father of two children, Darrell and 
Arlyn. The mother of these children died February 29, 1928. There is also one 
great-grandchild, Carroll.

     Mr. Evans is a charter member of Beacon Lodge, No. 182, I. O. O. F., at 
Mosier. He served a number of years as a member of the school board and has 
shown an effective interest in everything pertaining to the welfare of his 
community. In 1907 he, in association with Perry Harvey and Amos Root, 
organized the Mosier Fruit Growers Association, of which he, was a director 
for twenty-one years, and on his retirement was unanimously elected an 
honorary member of the association. Though almost four score years of age, Mr. 
Evans is still hale and hearty, gives his personal attention to the operation 
of his ranch, and occasionally enjoys a fishing trip, of which sport he is 
very fond. Scrupulously honest in all the relations of life, hospitable and 
charitable, he has long commanded the unqualified respect and esteem of his 
fellowmen and is regarded as one of the representative citizens of his 
community.

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