Wahkiakum County WA Archives Biographies.....Laughlin, C. W. June 14, 1879 - ************************************************ 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 Wakley iwakley@msn.com August 29, 2010, 12:24 am Source: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. III, Published 1928, Pages 540 - 541 Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company C. W. LAUGHLIN. One of the most successful cooperative dairymen's organization on the Pacific coast is the Lower Columbia Cooperative Dairymen's Association, of which C. W. Laughlin is manager and under whose capable supervision it has gained a wide reputation, not only for the outstanding benefits derived by its members, but also for the superior quality of its products, for which there is a constantly increasing demand. This association was organized in 1922, being the outcome of the consolidation of four smaller cooperative organizations which were practically ready to quit business. A few courageous, stout-hearted farmers and dairymen, however, believing that their best interests lay in an organization of this character, got together and, ably assisted by the Astoria Chamber of Commerce, formed the present organization, whose members reside on the lower Columbia river in Oregon and Washington. In their belief that their products could through this agency bring a more satisfactory price than they were then receiving, they have not been disappointed, their judgment being abundantly vindicated by the excellent results of their cooperative work. The association maintains and operates three large creameries for the manufacturing of butter, one at Grays River, and another at Cathlamet, Washington, and a third at Astoria, Oregon, besides an ice cream plant at Astoria and a large plant in Portland, used exclusively for making ice cream. They also have a condenser and milk dryer at Astoria and are now installing a grinding and mixing plant to supply their members with dairy and poultry feeds. The butter made by this association has received wide recognition for its superior qualities, not only through the popular market demand, but also officially at the leading fairs and expositions on the Pacific coast, where, in open competition, it has won the highest awards. Among these may be mentioned the second highest award for butter at the Pacific Slope Show, at Oakland, California, in 1924; the highest award and a gold medal at the same show in 1925 and 1926; the highest award and a gold medal at the Pacific International Exposition at Portland in 1926; the gold medal at the California state fair in 1927 and 1928; the gold medal at the Washington state fair in 1927 and many other trophies at the various state and county fairs in Oregon. "Persistent Quality" has been the slogan of the association, which has constantly striven to maintain the peak of perfection in the quality of its butter, while its ice cream, which is sold under the trade name of "Frostkist Ice Cream," is of a quality that has made it the leader in its line and which sells itself to all who once taste it. In 1927 the association did a business of approximately one million dollars and it has an investment of two hundred and sixty thousand dollars in buildings and equipment, which is nearly all paid for, a very flattering record for an organization only six years old. The association has a membership of seven hundred, who are paid a much better price for their cream than is paid in the Portland market. The association has sixty employees and is constantly expanding, its members, who occupy the fertile lands on both sides of the lower Columbia river, constantly adding more and higher grade cattle to their herds. The present officers and directors of the association are as follows: M. J. Johnson, president; Frank Wooden, vice president; A. E. Engbretsen, secretary and treasurer; C. W. Laughlin, manager; M. Mathiesen, Alvin Anderson, J. O. Kolback, Ralph Watkins, Arthur Fertig and Arthur Harder. C. W. Laughlin was born in Yamhill, Oregon, on the 14th of June, 1879, and is a son of Robert R. and Anna (Willis) Laughlin, the former, who is deceased, having been a native of Missouri, and the latter of Canada. Robert R. Laughlin crossed the plains with ox teams and covered wagons in 1847 and soon after his arrival in Oregon took a donation land claim in Yamhill county, of which locality he was one of the first settlers. Later he built a large grain warehouse at Yamhill, and for many years was successfully engaged in buying and shipping grain. He acquired large land holdings and became a man of prominence and influence in his county, where he lived continuously to the time of his death, in 1895. He married Miss Nancy L. Griffin, to which union were born two children, Edgar, deceased, and Wirt, who lives in Yamhill. To his marriage with Anna Willis were born eight children, of whom three are living, namely: Clarence, who resides on the old donation claim at Yamhill; Mrs. Maude L. Irwin, who lives in Idaho; and C. W. Robert R. Laughlin fought in the Indian wars of 1854-56 in this state and took an active interest in the early political and civic development of Oregon, having served three terms as a representative in the state legislature from Yamhill county. He was a strong and persistent advocate of better schools and improved roads and he gave to each of his children a college education. C. W. Laughlin attended the public schools of Yamhill county and entered the Oregon Agricultural College, from which he was graduated in mechanical engineering in 1902, after which he also pursued the agricultural course. On leaving college he decided to take up agricultural pursuits, to which end he bought sixty acres of fine river bottom land on the lower Columbia river, in Wahkiakum county, Washington, across the river from Astoria. He engaged in general farming and dairying, gradually improving his place, and now has thirty high grade milk cows and eight or ten young cattle. He raises all his own roughage, hay, ensilage and root crops, buying only mill feed and grain, and has fine pasturage for his cows. He devoted his attention closely to his farm until 1922, when he became one of the organizers of the Lower Columbia Cooperative Dairymen's Association, and was unanimously selected as its manager, a position which he has filled to the present time to the entire satisfaction of the members, the notable success of the association being largely due to his tireless end well directed efforts. In 1904 Mr. Laughlin was united in marriage to Miss Sibyl Cummings, who was born in Wisconsin and is a daughter of W. L. and Addie Cummings, the former now deceased. Mr. Cummings was a highly educated man and devoted practically all of his active life to educational work; having served several years as principal of the state boys' training school at Salem. Mr. and Mrs. Laughlin have six children, namely: Dora, who is a senior in the Oregon Agricultural College, where she is majoring in domestic science; Gordon, who is a junior in that institution, majoring in agriculture; Irwin, who is a graduate of the Astoria high school; Lyle, in high school; and Constance and Bonnie Marie, in grammar school. Mr. Laughlin is a member of Harbor Lodge, No. 183, A. F. & A. M., at Astoria; is vice president of the Astoria Kiwanis Club, is executive vice resident of the Chamber of Commerce, is a director of the Young Men's Christian Association and is identified with a number of other local organizations. He belongs to the Oregon Butter Makers' Association, of which he was president in 1927, and the Oregon Dairymen's Association, of which he is a past president. He is of that class of virile, progressive men, who believe in constant advancement, who do well whatever they undertake and are responsible for the real progress of their community. Integrity of character, honorable principles and fair dealing have characterized his career and no citizen of his community stands higher in public regard. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/wa/wahkiakum/bios/laughlin185gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/wafiles/ File size: 8.4 Kb