. If there is just the page listed it is one that I have transcribed. Otherwise, it will have the name of the person who donated the biographies.  If you have any biographies you can donate, please drop a line to Janine M. Bork.Your information can help others.

Mr. Ladd's career will be thus exciting to his descendants, and to all who see this sketch. He was born in the Empire state in 1838. He came to California with his father in 1852, but returning East married Miss Rachel Knapp in Illinois. Here might be mentioned as a remarkable coincidence, that Mrs. Ladd was born on October 7th and Mr. Ladd on October 25th. They were married October 12th; and Mr. Ladd died October 14th.

In 1862 he set forth to the Salmon river mines, but turning aside from the road came on and made a home at Ladd's cañon in the Grande Ronde. Here they built a cabin, and being on the direct route to the mines kept a hotel, feeding sometimes a hundred men at a meal, and taking the usual price of a dollar each. The year 1865 was spent in Walla Walla; but, returning to their old home in the shadow of the Blue Mountains, Mr. Ladd followed freighting about five years, after which he engaged in farming and stock-raising.

In 1867 he bought one hundred and sixty acres of land for three thousand dollars, which one freighting trip to Idaho paid for, and took one hundred and sixty more of government land. In 1877 he put on a stage line from Wallowa to Grande Ronde, and in after years owned several other stage lines in other East-of-the-Mountains regions.

His real estate had increased by 1887 to forty-five hundred acres, all in the valley. His business more recently was conducting a livery stable, stock-raising and handling large flocks of sheep. In addition to his interests there, he had large town property in La Grande and Pendleton.

His death occurred in 1887. He has been mourned not only by his family; but his loss is deplored by all the citizens of the place. His widow is still living at his late home in Island City, Oregon, and has the care of his estate. His daughter Eva is the wife of M.D. Andross of Island City; and his son, C.W. Ladd, is a stock-raiser and farmer of the Grande Ronde.

In 1854 they removed to Vancouver, where he operated as contractor for six years. In 1862 he sought a new and more permanent location in Eastern Oregon, and laid the claim where the town of North Union now stands. In1863 he moved his family and effects to the new location, and together they have seen the town of Union grow from one log cabin, constructed by themselves, into a beautiful town embowered with beautiful fruit and ornamental trees, and boasting of a population of one thousand people. Mr. Lewis has identified himself with the development of the place in many ways, having not only erected the first log cabin and the first house built of lumber, but also inaugurated many enterprises for the improvement of the place, and now owns much property in the city and a farm near by.

Five children have been born in this pleasant family, of whom two, a son and daughter, are living. They also have four grandchildren living.

They relate with much pleasure and interest their many hard and exciting experiences in the early days; and Mrs. Lewis recalls how, at the age of eighteen, she stood in the door of her home at Ranier and saw her husband cross the billowy Columbia when the waves were running high, and no one else would dare to take a Bellingham Bay coal hunter across to the territory; and to the writer the pleasant old lady observed that this was a foolhardy adventure, and that she fully expected every moment as she stood and gazed to become a widow.

ALLEN LONG. - The agricultural population of Union county is well known for their progressiveness and enterprise, and one of this capable number is mentioned at the head of this article and it is with pleasure that we accord to him a representation in this volume, since he is one of the builders of the county and has manifested that broad public spirit in all of his ways that makes the loyal and up-to-date man, while his sagacity and uprightness have no less been displayed.

Our subject was born in Noble county, Indiana, on May 5, 1851, being the son of Jacob and Hanna (Waybel) Long, natives, respectively, of Pennsylvania and Ohio. The father was a farmer and blacksmith in Indiana until 1855, when he transferred his residence to Boone county, Iowa, and there engaged in the same occupation until 1864, when he brought his family to the Willamette valley across the dreary and dangerous plains with ox teams. The same occupations were there prosecuted until 1872, when a removal to Union county was made and he bought two hundred acres of land from the state, giving himself to its cultivation and laboring at the forge until very recently, the latter business has been retired from. Our subject, remained with his parents, laboring with his father until the age of twenty-eight had been reached, when he took a homestead three and on-half miles east from Elgin, where he has been residing since, paying attention to raising the fruits of the soil and handling stock. He now has an estate of two hundred acres well improved and is numbered with the prosperous and well-to-do men of the county.

On November 20, 1878, in Summerville, Union county, Mr. Long married Miss Permelia, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (Baker) Beem, natives respectively, of Kentucky and Missouri, and to this happy union there have been born the following children: Viva and Iva, twins: the second one is dead and buried in Long cemetery: Addie, deceased: Ella, Stella, Harland, Ora and Carl. Mrs. Long was born September 3, 1861, and her parents came to Union county from Missouri in 1877 and joined the agricultural citizens of the county, laboring in that calling until the time of their death/ the mother passing away on May 28, 1882, and the father going on June 8, 1890, buried in Highland cemetery east from Elgin. Mr. Long is a member of the Masons, Elgin Lodge, No. 98. Mr. Long is one of the representative men of the county and has labored faithfully here for the advancement of the county for many years and his standing among his fellows is enviable and he has enjoys the esteem and confidence of all.

Returning home he learned the trade of a blacksmith, and in 1840 went West, spending five years hunting and trapping in Indiana. Marrying, and entering a tract of land, he cleared and improved a farm, until in 1854 he made a removal to Iowa. In that state he made two farms, also working at his trade.

Ten years later he took the final jump, coming to Oregon in 1864. He lived successively in Multnomah and Polk counties, but in 1871 sought once more a home in the wilds, where the indigenous animals were still living in abundance. This was Indian valley; and he was the first settler in the northern part. He has indefatigably hunted the elk, deer, bear, cougar and wolf; and his catch of wolverines, lynxes, wild cats, catamounts, beavers, otters, fishers, martins, minks and coyotes has furnished pelts, the sales of which have kept his family in comfort. He has many stories to tell of sharp encounters with such fierce animals as the cougars, and is one of those very interesting characters of our borders. The valley around him has settled and is thriving since his first advent, and his own family of nine children are among the prosperous.

MOSES LORE. - It is with especial pleasure that we respond to the invitation to say a few words relative to the career of the estimable gentleman and distinguished pioneer whose name is at the beginning of this article because he is perhaps the oldest resident of Union county, and also because he has been a potent factor in developing not only the resources of this county, but of other frontier regions in his long and eventful life. The whole range of frontier life, as trapping, mining, fighting Indians, beating off robbers, and breaking up the virgin soil, and establishing homes, and in assisting in handling the affairs of the community in its incipiency, have all been experienced by him and it is matter of great regret that we have not more space to devote to the interesting details of the thrilling adventures of his life.

But, turning more definitely to the specific matters in hand. Mr. Lore was born near Montreal, Canada, in October, 1804, nearly one hundred years ago, being the son of Henry and Margaret Lore, who were agricultural people, natives of France, and early settlers of Canada. He was occupied in his younger days on the ranch with his father and in the winter went to the timber and rafted down to Quebec for two springs. When he arrived at the age twenty-six years he went to St. Louis and there worked on a boat for one winter and in the spring engaged as overseer of the stock with the American Fur Company, which was starting an expedition to the Rocky Mountains. For two years, he was with this company traversing the wild regions of the mountains in search of fur, and trapping and hunting. He became very expert in these arts and also while enjoying the thrilling adventures attendant thereupon was well acquainted with the hardships and dangers that so thickly bestrew the path of the hunter and trapper. At the end of his two years service he engaged with a party led by one Jarvey to go to the mountains near Salt Lake, but on account of the uprising among the Indians the trip was abandoned and our subject, in company with Jaquerie, a member of the former party, trapped and hunted for two years more in the territory adjacent to Fort Hall, in Idaho. They were within one hundred miles of this station and were successful in their endeavers. They went north from there to the Payette river country and hunted buffalo, then returned to Fort Hall and wintered, then went to the Clearwater country and on to the Flathead territory, all the time hunting and trapping. Then they started for California, but the partner became afraid of the Indians, and so the trip was abandoned, and Mr. Lore went to work for the noted Henry Spalding where he continued for ten months. After this he crossed the Cascades and took up a ranch of six hundred and forty acres in the Willamette valley and remained twelve years or until 1852, when he went to California and operated in the mines but without much success except to incur the discomfort and pain of enduring an attack of fever and ague and the scurvy, after which he returned to the Willamette valley, sold his ranch, took up another and bought enough more to make five hundred acres in all.

There he remained until 1862, when he crossed the Cascades to Union county and was occupied for a time in peddling among the miners, and once was attacked by robbers when he was returning home. For two years he wrought here and then sent for his family from the Willamette valley and bought his present place of one-quarter section, where he has given his attention to farming and stock-raising. Success has attended his efforts and he is now enjoying a competence that his thrift and energy gathered for him.

In 1853, the marriage of Mr. Lore and Mary Ann Sanders was solemnized and to them have been born six children, one of whom is living. Joseph, who resides with his parents on the farm. Mrs. Lore is seventy years of age. Mr. Lore is over ninety-seven, and is active and takes interest in the farm and in business generally. He is highly esteemed by all and in a county where many pioneers dwell there is perhaps not another with so extended and interesting a career as has been passed by the worthy and venerable gentleman who is now spending his golden years in the county where he has labored long and faithfully.

Mr. Lytle was born in Wyandot, Ohio, on October 22, 1842, being the son of James and Mary (Anno) Lytle, the father a native of Scotland and the mother of Scottish descent. In 1855 the mother was called by the messenger of death, and on April 1, 1866, the father also passed away. Our subject received his education in the public schools of his native county, and there remained until he had arrived at man's estate. When he had reached his majority he engaged in farming and raising and feeding stock until 1879. In that year he was determined to try his fortunes in the west, and accordingly came to San Francisco, thence by boat to Portland, and by the same conveyance to Wallula. He took up land in Sherman county, Oregon, remaining a few months, when tidings of the fertile Grande Ronde valley reached him and he immediately came thither. He soon selected the place where he lives at present, two and one0half miles south from Alicel, purchased it and set to the task of making it one of the best improved farms in the county of Union. He has bought and sold considerable property since that time, an now is contented to handle one hundred and twenty acres of cultivated land. The production of the cereals, occupies his attention mostly, although he has two acres planted to apples and pears, and conducts a small dairy. He has one of the finest rural residences in the county. It contains eight rooms and spacious halls, and is tasty and fine. He has also good outbuildings and a commodious barn, and all the conveniences to handle his estate in good shape. An air of thrift and plenty pervades the entire premises, and he is one of the most careful and progressive farmers of the county.

On August 27, 1876, Mr. Lytle married Miss Savilla Shafer, a native of Ohio, and this estimable lady has shared his labors and successes constantly ever since. Mr. Lytle is greatly interested in politics, although he refuses personal preferment in that line. He was nominated for the state legislature on the Republican ticket, but withdrew from the field. He was the first clerk in the Valeria school district and the cause of education has profited much by his counsel at various times when he held public office. He has served as delegate to the county convention every time since his coming to the county, with the exception of two years. Mr. Lytle is one of the substantial and progressive citizens of the county, and has ever labored faithfully in all those undertakings that are for the benefit of all, while his good character and unsullied reputation have placed him high in the esteem of all.