Cowlitz-Pierce-Spokane County WA Archives Biographies.....Van Bebber, Frank 1854 - ************************************************ 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 May 9, 2009, 12:28 am Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company FRANK VAN BEBBER. Among the oldest native sons of the Columbia River valley still living here is Frank Van Bebber, one of the best known farmers and citizens of Woodland, Cowlitz county, Washington, his record having gained for him the respect and esteem of all who know him. Mr. Van Bebber was born in 1854 across the Lewis river from Woodland, in Clark county, Oregon Territory, and is a son of John Harrison and Rodha Ruth (John) Van Bebber. His father was one of the first settlers of the valley, having come here in the '40s and taken up land at Caples Landing. A short time afterward he moved to Vancouver, which at that time consisted of one street of straggling houses and stores, and eventually he went to Nevada, he and his wife having separated. His wife was a daughter of Jacob and Rachel (Whitaker) John, of whom the former was born in Tennessee, March 11, 1802. He moved to Clinton county, Ohio, where, on November 30, 1823, he and Rachel Whitaker were married. Later they moved to Illinois, and from there to Mahaska county, Iowa, where they lived until the spring of 1852, when they came to Oregon. They spent their first winter at Portland, where the father worked at his trade of blacksmithing, and also built a coalpit and made charcoal. In the following spring he started to find an old Iowa friend, Squire Bozorth, who had taken up a claim on the Lewis river, and Mr. John took up land near the Bozorths, living there until the winter of 1861, when he moved to Mill Plain, just east of Vancouver, where his death occurred December 10, 1863. He was the father of eleven children, of whom the only survivor is Mrs. Cynthia Bozorth, the widow of Squire J. Bozorth, Jr., now living at Woodland, at the age of eighty-seven years. After the separation from her first husband, Rodha Ruth (John) Van Bebber became the wife of Christopher Columbus Bozorth in 1863, he being a brother of Squire J. Bozorth, Jr. He was born in Missouri on New Year's day of 1832, accompanied his family on their migration west, and in 1881 opened a store on the river bank at Woodland, being the first to locate at that place, which he named after his father's farm, which was called Woodland farm. He was appointed and served as the first postmaster there and became prominent in local public affairs, serving as a member of the state legislature and four terms as county assessor. Frank Van Bebber attended school about three months each year, first in a log schoolhouse in Clark county, to which he was compelled to walk six miles. He gave his attention to farm work until nineteen years of age, when, in 1875, he went to Idaho, where for one season he worked in the mines, after which he remained at home for a short time. He was then with his father in the woods at Elhi, near Sumner, Washington, and also worked in sawmills in Pierce county, Washington, about three years. On his return to Woodland, which at that time consisted only of the store owned by his stepfather, Mr. Bozorth, he assisted the latter and also farmed, until 1881, when he went to Spokane county and took up a homestead thirty miles north of Spokane, of which locality he was a pioneer. He remained there eight years, proving up on his claim, and during that period also worked on the railroad. He bought out his brother-in-law, who had gone there and had also taken up a homestead, and he still owns that land but has sold his own homestead. The country was wild and unsettled and he was compelled to cut a trail to the homestead, and during his stay there he almost built a road from his place to Spokane. In 1892 Mr. Van Bebber returned to Woodland and clerked for his stepfather until 1897, when he went to Dawson, Alaska, where he spent twelve summer seasons and two winters. He was in Nome in 1906 and engaged in freighting there about four years, after which he went to work for the Three Friends Mining Company as superintendent of dredging, filling that position about four years. In 1909 he quit Alaska and spent the ensuing ten years in Portland, where he became a partner in the firm of Leisure & Van Bebber dealers in stirrups and saddle trees. Later Mr. Van Bebber sold his interest in the company which is still in existence. While living in Portland, he spent part of each season in the ranch at Spokane, and in 1919 he returned to Woodland and bought the old C. C. Bozorth home, which he now occupies. In 1876 Mr. Van Bebber was united in marriage to Miss Zerelda Stewart, who was horn in Ohio and came to Washington in about 1871 with her parents, S.H. and Clara Stewart, the former a carpenter, who located near Martins Bluff. To Mr. and Mrs. Van Bebber was born a son, Lloyd, who is now engaged in the adjustment business in Portland. Mr. Van Bebber is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, which order he joined in Spokane in 1890. He has received the degrees of both York and Scottish Rites, and belongs to Afifi Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Tacoma. He is also a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and he and his wife are members of the Order of the Eastern Star. Mr. Van Bebber has had an interesting career and his familiarity with the early days of this section of the country makes him an authority on pioneer history. He is regarded as one of his community’s worthy and substantial citizens and is held in high regard wherever known. Additional Comments: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. II, Pages 639-640 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/wa/cowlitz/bios/vanbebbe16gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/wafiles/ File size: 6.1 Kb