Wasco County OR Archives Biographies.....St. Martin, Isadore 1836 - March 10, 1910
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Ila Wakley iwakley@msn.com February 10, 2011, 11:51 am

Source: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. III, Published 1928, Pages 861 - 862
Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company

     ISADORE ST. MARTIN.  Among the citizens of the Columbia River valley who, 
by their tireless and well directed individual labors, contributed in a very 
definite way to the improvement and development of their respective 
communities, the late Isadore St. Martin was one of the most highly respected, 
for his career was marked by earnest purpose, sound judgment and stanch 
integrity in every relation of life. He was a man of sagacity and vision, did 
well whatever he undertook, and well merited the success which crowned his 
efforts. Mr. St. Martin was born near what is now Chehalis, Lewis county, 
Washington, about 1836, and was a son of Andrew St. Martin. His father was a 
native of Montreal, Canada, and came to Oregon territory about 1830 as an 
employee of the Hudson Bay Company. He worked for Dr. John McLoughlin at the 
old fort at Vancouver as a millwright. He attended the historic meeting at 
Champoeg in 1843, accompanied by his friend, F. X. Matthieu, and witnessed the 
saving of Oregon to the United States by the narrow margin of two votes. He 
took up a donation claim of six hundred and forty acres of land near the 
present city of Chehalis and lived there many years, his death occurring near 
Portland, Oregon, in 1886. He reared a large family of children and was highly 
respected by his fellow citizens.
     
     Isadore St. Martin spent his boyhood at home, assisting his father in 
clearing and cultivating the land until the early '60s, when he went to The 
Dalles, Oregon, and engaged in packing supplies to the mines at Canyon City. 
In this work he used a large string of pack horses, and, being a great lover 
of horses, maintained a splendid outfit. He lived at The Dalles until the 
spring of 1873, when he came to Skamania county, Washington, and took up a 
homestead six miles east of Stevenson. The land was covered with heavy timber, 
and after building a log house, he began the task of clearing the place, for 
which purpose he used oxen, hauling his logs to the Grant & Stone sawmill at 
Sprague, Washington. In the course of time he got a goodly part of the land 
cleared and he carried on its cultivation with success. On this land are fine 
medicinal hot springs, which he realized were of great value if properly 
utilized. To this end, he began to advertise their location and value, 
erecting cabins, tents and other accommodations, and met with such encouraging 
success that in 1898 he erected a large hotel and a number of bath houses, 
cleared off and beautified the surrounding grounds, and developed the place 
into one of the most attractive resorts in the northwest. St. Martin Springs, 
as the place is now widely known, has been patronized by thousands who have 
here found an ideal place to recuperate under pleasant and inviting 
environment, and the springs are patronized by people from all parts of the 
northwest and California, Mr. St. Martin continued to give the ranch and 
springs his personal attention until his death, which occurred March 10, 1910, 
and was deeply regretted not only by the people of his immediate community, 
who had found him to be a man of worthy life and dependable character, but 
also by many of his former guests with whom he had formed lasting friendships.

     In 1864, at The Dalles, Oregon, Mr. St. Martin was united in marriage to 
Miss Margaret Arquette, who was born near St. Paul, Oregon, in 1843, and is a 
daughter of Amab and Margaret Arquette, the former born in Canada, of French 
descent, and the latter in Oregon, the daughter of a Chimewa Indian princess. 
Mrs. St. Martin is still living on the home place, at the age of eighty-five 
years and is greatly beloved by all who know her. To Mr. and Mrs. St. Martin 
were born ten children, namely: Mrs. Virginia Gray; Eli, deceased; Frank, who 
died in infancy; Isadore; Amos, deceased; Mrs. Aurelia Kelly; Mrs. Maggie 
Ragan, of Carson, Washington; Mrs. Kate Haines, of Portland, Oregon; Mrs. 
Olivia Davey, of Portland, Oregon; and Lochinvar, of Carson. Mrs. Aurelia 
Kelly, who is now managing the hot springs for the family, was educated in the 
district schools, and in 1900 married E. W. Waddington; and in July, 1918, 
became the wife of E. P. Kelly, who was born in Pennsylvania. He was there 
reared and educated and in 1914 came to Washington, where he married Mrs. 
Waddington. Mrs. Kelly has shown herself a capable business woman and is 
successfully carrying on the work established by her father. She is a member 
of the Skamania County Pioneer Association and is deservedly popular 
throughout the community, having many warm and loyal friends.

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