Walla Walla Valley
E- Biographies

REV. CUSHING EELS, D.D. - Dr. Eells was born at Blandford, Massachusetts, February 16, 1810, and was the son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Warner) Eells. He was descended from Samuel Eells, who was a major in Cromwell's army, and who came to America in 1661.

Cushing Eells was brought up at Blandford, became a Christian when fifteen years old, prepared for college at Monson Academy, Massachusetts, entered Williams College in1830, and graduated four years later. The distance from his home to college was forty-five miles. Twice he rode the entire distance, - when he entered and after he graduated, - twice from one-half to two-thirds of the way; and the rest of the trips he walked too poor to pay his way. Three years later he graduated from East Windsor Theological Seminary, of Connecticut (now at Hartford), and was ordained at Blandford, Massachusetts, October 25, 1837, as a Congregational minister.

While teaching school at Holden, Massachusetts, he became acquainted with Miss Myra Fairbank, to whom he was afterwards married. She was the daughter of Dea. Joshua, and Mrs. Sally Fairbank, and was born at Holden, Massachusetts, May 26, 1805. It is said that both on her father's and mother's sides she was pure Yankee. She made a profession of religion when thirteen years old, and at the celebration of her seventieth birthday said that she had never been sorry that she had begun to serve the Savior when so young.

When Doctor Eels first offered himself as a missionary to the American board of commissioners for foreign missions, he was appointed to the Zulu mission of Africa. afterwards, when Doctor Whitman and others had come to Oregon, the call for missionaries to the Indians on this coast became so urgent that the board decided to send him to this region. Doctor Eels and Miss Fairbank were married at Holden, March 5, 1838. On the next day they started on their bridal tour across the continent, and about a year later began housekeeping near the Spokane river, ready to receive callers.

Only two women, Mrs. M. Whitman, and Mrs. H.H Spalding, had ever made the trip before, - in 1836. Reverend e. Walker, Reverend A.B. Smith, Mr. W.H. Gray and their wives, and Mr. C. Rogers, were the missionary companions of Doctor and Mrs. Eells; and most of the trip from Missouri was made on horseback. they were under the protection of the American Fur Company to the Rocky Mountains, and of the Hudson's Bay Company from that place to Walla Walla, where they arrived August 29, 1838. That winter was spent at Doctor Whitman's station at Walla; but the next spring, with Doctor Walker and his wife, who were their associates until 1848, they went to their mission station among the Spokane Indians, Tshimakin, at Walker's Prairie, in what is now Spokane county, Washington.

Here they remained until 1848, after the massacre of Doctor Whitman. Doctor Eels taught a small school a part of the time, besides preaching and doing general missionary work. The results as they appeared at that time were not satisfactory; but thirty-five years later it was plain that the seed then sowed had grown, until two churches of one hundred and twenty-seven members were the result; while during the Cayuse and Yakima wars the tribe remained friendly to the Whites, although strongly urged by the hostiles to join them. Owing, however to the fact that the government of Oregon could not protect them in that region after the Cayuse war, they moved to the Willamette valley in the summer of 1848, under an escort of sixty Oregon volunteers commanded by Major J. Magone.

They spent four weeks on the Abiqua, when they both engaged to teach in the Oregon Institute at Salem, now the Willamette University. the next year they accepted a request to teach in what was beginning to be Tualatin Academy at Forest Grove. Here they remained until August, 1851, when they removed to near Hillsboro, where Doctor Eels taught the Washington Select school about four years, and other schools in the region until 1857, preaching also a considerable part of the time, when he returned to Forest Grove, as principal of Tualatin Academy. Three years were thus spent; when, the country east of the Cascade Mountains being open for settlement, he went to Walla Walla, moving his family there in 1862, and laid plans for beginning Whitman Seminary, in memory of his colaborer, Doctor M. Whitman, which ahs since grown into Whitman College. It was not, however, until 1866 that the first building was completed and the school fairly begun. Since that time he has labored for it as he has been able. He has been president of its board of trustees since the charter was granted in 1859; he taught in it as principal for about two and a half years; he has given to it nearly ten thousand dollars; he spent about a year in the East in 1883 - 84 in its behalf, - his first and only trip East since he came to this coast, - when he was the means of securing about twelve thousand dollars for it; and he lived till, in 1888, it celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of his arrival in the territory.

In 1872 his house at Walla Walla was burned; and he moved to the home of his eldest son, Indian agent at Skokomish, on Puget Sound. He remained there for nearly two years; when he again visited the Indians and White of Eastern Washington, devoting his time mainly to ministerial work.

Mrs. Eels died at Skokomish August 9, 1878, aged seventy-three years, and was buried at Seattle. After her death Doctor Eels spent most of his time in Eastern Washington, living at different times at Colfax, Cheney and Medical Lake until 1888, when he felt too old to longer endure the hardships of the work, and has since resided with his oldest son, Indian agent on the Puyallup Reservation near Tacoma.

He assisted in the organization of the Congregational church at Skokomish in 1874, of which he was pastor for nearly two years; organized the one at Colfax in 1877, of which he was pastor for four years; also that at Chawelah in 1879, of which he was pastor for about nine years; that at Medical lake in 1883, of which he was pastor for five years; that at Sprague in 1882, of which he was pastor for about two years; aided in organizing that at Cheney in1881 and acted as its pastor for three years; and also preached at many other stations in Eastern Washington. To the churches of Walla Walla, Colfax, Dayton, Cheney, Sprague, Lone Pine, Spokane Falls, Olympia, Washington Territory, and Forest Grove, Oregon, it is known that he had given previous to July, 1887, $6,877.55. In addition to what he has given to Whitman College, Mrs. Eells laid the foundation of a professorship in Pacific University, which with accumulated interest now amounts to about three thousand dollars. Doctor Eels and wife have also given various missionary societies nearly four thousand dollars. He received the degree of D.D. from Pacific University, and was chosen assistant moderator of the National Congregational Council at Concord, New Hampshire, in 1883.

He has two children, Honorable Edwin Eels who has been United States Indian agent on Puget Sound since 1871, and Reverend Myron Eells, missionary at Skokomish, Washington, since 1874.

History of Pacific Northwest - Oregon and Washington
Volume II
315, 316

SAMUEL H. ERWIN is a native of Ohio, where he was born April 1, 1827. In 1834 his parents moved from there to Louisa county, Iowa, where the subject of this sketch spent the years of his minority. In 1852, April 22, he was married to Miss Harriet A. Bolen, with whom he crossed the plains to Linn county, Oregon, in 1853. In 1859 he visited Washington Territory and selected the farm on which he now lives. The next spring, with his wife and a few personal effects, he moved to this new country, and became one of the first five residents of Middle Touchet river. A view of his farm and home accompanies this work, which is the best means of gaining a knowledge of its surface appearance and present improvements. It is situated sixteen miles north of Walla Walla, on the north bank of the Touchet river, and contains 550 acres of land, 400 of which are inclosed and 224 under cultivation. There are about thirty acres of timber, that he has grown from seed or plants, including six acres of black locust and three of soft maple. Some of these locusts have grown to a diameter of two feet and fence posts of this wood, set ten years ago, on being taken up in 1882 were found to be sound enough to warrant resetting. The first orchard set on the Touchet was planted by Mr. Erwin, in 1860. Mrs. Harriet A. Erwin died Oct. 31, 1863, of consumption, while stopping in Oregon. January, 1866, Mr. Erwin was again married, this time to Miss Mary J. McCaw, of Linn county, Oregon. His family is not numerous, having no children, but one sister whose home is in Iowa, and a mother, still residing, who finds a home with her son, from whose hearth-stone she looks back upon eighty-two years of life's varied and shifting scenes. Of Mr. Erwin, as a judicious business man and a farmer, the results of his operations speak in a flattering and unquestionable way. Of his position and the impression that his dealings and associations with men have left upon those who have known him, the best evidence is their expression of approval in twice electing him as their County Commissioner, a position that he is now filling with credit to himself and advantage to Walla Walla county.

Gilbert's Historic Sketches
Biographical Supplements
1882
Page 14

MILTON EVANS was born in Pike county, Ohio, November 9, 1833. He was one of a family of eleven children, and spent the years of his minority at the parental home. In 1860,his father, George W. Evans, removed from Ohio to Fremont county, Iowa, with his family, where they staid one year and then crossed the plains to Washington Territory. They left Iowa intending for California, but changed their point of destination on the way because of favorable reports in regard to Washington Territory. We speak of the family in this connection, because the subject of this sketch was one of twelve, including his father, mother, seven brothers and two sisters, all of whom came with him to this country. The first year after reaching this section, they rented a farm on Mill creek, and then located the ones on that steam and Dry creek, now owned by the different members of that family. In 1861, after reaching Walla Walla, Milton Evans, thinking to find the Golden Fleece, entered upon the miner's uncertain trail, and, being one of a party of eight, prospected the Burnt river country. Among the eight were some old mountain men, who soon discovered that the little party was being shadowed by Indians. The arts of Indian warfare were resorted to, and finally they escaped from the enemy's toils, and reached Walla Walla by forced marches. Mr. Evans, les fortunate than his companions, lost his horse that feel dead on the trail as they were making their retreat from the Burnt river country. Not satisfied with this experience, he visited the Florence mines in 1862, and this last was the one thing needed to banish his gilded dream, and cause him to appreciate the advantages of anything in preference to the life of a miner. From 1862 until 1867, he followed teaming from Wallula to various points in the interior, and from 1867 until 1873, stock raising and grazing occupied his attention. Having become possessed of a farm, it became an urgent necessity for him to obtain a wife to help in the management of his real possessions. This resulted in a matrimonial alliance, and Mr. Evans was married to Miss Alice M. Drake, of Uxbridge, Worcester county, Massachusetts, on the 27th of June, 1871. Since 1873, he has made a specialty of raising horses, having disposed of his cattle. His home farm lies on Dry creek six and one half miles north east of from Walla Walla, and contains 400 acres all inclosed and cultivated (see sketch of it in this book). He, also, ownes two hundred acres north from and within three-fourths of a mile of Walla Walla, to which add 640 acres of railroad land and 40 acres of timber in the mountains, which gives 1280 aces of land owned by him. Mr. Evans is one of the substantial men of the county, and has made his money since he came here. He believes in schools, and is one of those who spends time and money freely in that direction.

Gilbert's Historic Sketches
Biographical Supplements
1882
Page 14