Bios: John Meek, 1855 : from Greene County Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Nancy Grubb. nancyg@theofficenet.com USGENWEB NOTICE: Printing this file within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. ____________________________________________________________ >From "History of North Washington" Published 1904 Transcribed by: Nancy Grubb (nancyg@theofficenet.com) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- JOHN MEEK John Meek has been an extensive traveler in the western portion of the United States and especially in the northwest. About 1897 he settled on his present place,one mile west from Scotia and since that time he has devoted himself to gardening and horticulture. His success has been very gratifying, and he has now over six thousand bearing strawberry plants,two thousand raspberry plants,and various other varieties of fruit. The farm is well improved with a house,barn,outbuildings,and so forth,and it is evident that Mr.Meek is one of the thrifty men of the county. John Meek was born in Greene county, Pennsylvania on December 3,1852,the son of J.B. and Jane (McCracken) Meek, natives of Pennsylvania and Virginia, respectively. They early settled in Greene county and there remained until the death of the father, which occured while he was on a visit to Kansas. They were the parents of ten children, Alexander, Rebeccah, Mary, John, Elizabeth, Margret, Ellen, James B., Lenora, and Cal. John received his early education in Greene county and was favored with very poor opportunity for that training when he was a child. When he was a lad of ten years he came to Iowa, remaining there until 1871, in which year he crossed the plains with ox teams to Colorado, whence he journed to Washington. He remained in the northwest a short time, then returned to Colorado. In 1874 we see him again in Iowa, whence ten years later he came to the sound country. He lived in the various settlements of that section, also dwelling in Pacific county and about 1891 came to Spokane. Later he located in the Palouse country and in 1897 he came to his present place and now is one of the largest gardners and hort- iculturists estabablished in the county. Mr. Meek finds ready market for all of his productions and is one of the prosperous and well to do citizens of the community. He is a man of bright ideas,consequently in political matters he is independent and liberal, which means that he reserves for his own decision the questions of the day and considers in a very practical way, the issues. Fraternally he is affiliated with the I.O.O.F. Mr. Meek's father served in the civil war for three years and two months. The brother also served one and one-half years.