Clark County WA Archives Biographies.....Caples, D. Elwood 1900 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/wa/wafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Ila L. Wakley iwakley@msn.com and June 12, 2009, 12:34 am Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company D. ELWOOD CAPLES. Strong, purposeful and self-reliant, D. Elwood Caples earned the funds necessary for his higher education and now occupies a place of prominence in legal circles of Vancouver. A native of the city, he was born in 1900 and represents one of the honored pioneer families of Washington. He is a son of Douglas and Luella P. (Woolf) Caples, the former of whom was born at Caples Landing, Washington, while the latter is a native of Iowa. H. R. Caples, the father of Douglas Caples, left Sidney, Ohio, in 1852 and traveled by slow stages to the Pacific northwest, making the trip across the plains in a covered wagon drawn by oxen. He secured a donation land claim at what is now known as Caples Landing, just across the river from Columbia City, but afterward sold the place, taking up a preemption claim near Woodland in Cowlitz county, Washington. There he remained until 1864, when he located in Vancouver in order to give his children better educational advantages. For many years he was regarded as one of the city's foremost attorneys and also served in the territorial legislature of Washington. His capital was invested in land, and his first speculation in local property was a tract of one hundred and eight acres, which he purchased from John Springer. It is now in the city limits and lies just north of Twenty-sixth street. For this farm Mr. Caples paid ten dollars an acre and after a few years sold it at the same price. Later he bought a quarter section of land in the Battleground district, paying a dollar and a quarter an acre for the second ranch. During his youth Douglas Caples followed the occupation of mining for some time and was also engaged in other lines of work. He learned the carpenter's trade and for about thirty-five years has devoted his attention to contracting. His work is performed with thoroughness and efficiency, and many of Vancouver's substantial buildings exemplify his skill in the art of construction. Along fraternal lines he is connected with the Woodmen of the World, and in polities he is a democrat. He was appointed deputy county clerk and filled the position for several years. His wife's parents were Peter J. and Margaret Woolf, both of whom are deceased. Mr. Woolf went to California with the object of selecting a desirable location on the Pacific coast and while he was in San Francisco there was an epidemic of smallpox in Iowa and his wife, deciding that it was unwise to remain in the state, started across the plains in 1881 with her family of eight children. The youngest was but nine months old and the daughter Luella was a child of eleven years. Mrs. Woolf drove a team of oxen to the coast and did the cooking for three families as well as her own. After her arrival in Washington she notified her husband of the trip she had made on her own initiative and as soon as possible he rejoined the family. D. Elwood Caples attended the grammar and high schools of Vancouver and during the World war was a member of the Students Army Training Corps, being connected with the University of Washington unit. For about three months he was stationed at Camp Washington, after which he worked in the shipyard at Vancouver and was also a newspaper reporter. After an absence of about two years he returned to the University of Washington and was graduated with the class of 1924, receiving the degree of LL. B. He worked his way through that institution of learning and for three years worked as an assistant in its law library. In January, 1925, he was admitted to the bar and has since followed his profession in Vancouver, maintaining an office in the Schofield building. He devotes much time and thought to the preparation of his cases, which he presents with clearness, forcefulness and skill, and has already established a large and lucrative clientele. In January, 1925, Mr. Caples married Miss Martha B. Glass, who was born in Iowa but has spent the greater part of her life in the state of Washington. She is a daughter of H. J. and Amy M. Glass, who reside in the vicinity of Vancouver. Mr. and Mrs. Caples have one child, Barbara Ann, who was born in 1927. Mr. Caples was elected commander of Vancouver Post of the American Legion in 1927 and is now district commander of that organization, exerting a strong and beneficial influence in its affairs. He is clerk of the local camp of the Woodmen of the World, and his interest in the agricultural advancement of his state is indicated by his affiliation with the Prunarians. While attending the University of Washington he joined the Lambda Chi Alpha and Delta Theta Phi fraternities and is also a member of the Clark County and Washington State Bar Associations. Mr. Caples is a young man of exceptional worth, and his industry and ability insure his success in a most exacting profession. Additional Comments: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. II, Pages 839-840 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/wa/clark/bios/caples36gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/wafiles/ File size: 5.6 Kb