This page is part of the Wallowa County AGHP

Wallowa County Biographies

~Bay Family~

The father of two brothers who settled and raised families in Union and Wallowa Counties was David W. Bay, born in Pickaway County, Ohio on June 10, 1809, and died in Hilgard, Oregon on March 12, 1893. (Hilgard is located about 8 miles west of La Grande.) He married twice and had a total of ten children.

David Bay married his first wife, Mary Robinson, on December 10, 1829 in Allen County, Indiana. To this marriage two sons were born, William R. and John M. Bay. Mary Robinson Bay died on March 26, 1836 in Pleasant Township, Allen County, Indiana. David then married his second wife, Mary Ann Newman, on June 22, 1837 in Allen County, Indiana. To this marriage five sons (Charles, Humphrey W., Thomas B., James F, George W.) and three daughters (Lavina, Elcy and Angeline Bay) were born.

William R. Bay (born October 28, 1830 in Allen County, Indiana) and his half-brother Charles (born March 1838 in Illinois) married sisters. On February 12, 1852 in Unionville, Missouri, William married Caroline Hearing (born April 7, 1836 in Indiana). Charles married Lucretia (born July 12, 1843 in Airesville, Livingston County, Missouri) in Unionville, Missouri on September 7, 1861.

In the fall of 1861 Samuel Hearing II, Caroline and Lucretia's father, called a meeting of all his sons and daughters and their families. He explained to them that in as much as some of the families lived in Iowa, some in Missouri and there were different opinions regarding the war, there was a great danger that some would join the Southern army and some would join the North and they would be fighting each other. He told them that the smart thing to do was to sell out and head for Oregon over the Oregon Trail.

In the spring of 1862, William and Caroline Bay with their three children (Susan E., David and Mary Elizabeth) joined Charles and Lucretia along with the rest of Caroline and Lucretia's brothers, sisters and their families in what was called the "Iowa" wagon train captained by a Micajah Baker who became La Grande's first attorney. David Bay, William and Charles's father, did not come to Oregon at this time, but came some time after 1880 and was living in Hilgard in 1893 when he died.

After a trip of almost six months filled with many hardships and a few amusing incidents, their wagon train reached the Snake River. There, Samuel Hearing II died of the disease called at that time mountain fever, but which has been established as pneumonia. This was on Sept. 22, 1862. This is thought to be where Farewell Bend is located. Four days later, at where the city of Baker City now stands, Susannah (Susan) Hearing (Caroline and Lucretia's mother) died of the same disease. Their brother, John, died on Sept. 29, 1862. Susan and John were buried side by side on the banks of the Powder River and after the city started to expand, Samuel Hearing III moved the remains to Rock Creek Cemetery near Haines, Oregon. Charles and Lucretia suffered the loss of a child who was born and died somewhere along the Oregon Trail.

Whether the loss of family or the lure of gold figured into the decision, William and Caroline decided to leave the wagon train and spend the winter in Auburn, just a few miles from Baker City. Charles and Lucretia continued on and settled in Linn County.

In the spring of 1863, William and Caroline Bay came to La Grande where they settled and lived the rest of their lives. It had been thought that a daughter, Emma A. Bay, was born in Auburn on Oct. 22, 1863, but according to a newspaper article Dec. 22, 1942 about Mary E. Bay this was not true; Emma was born in La Grande, Union County.

William Bay, a teamster and a blacksmith, passed away February 22, 1904 and is buried in La Grande. Caroline Bay passed away on October 25, 1905 and is buried beside her husband and daughter, Laura, in Hillcrest Cemetery in La Grande.

William and Caroline Bay had eight children, six of which lived on past childhood. They were: Susan Elizabeth, born November 21, 1852 in Wayne County, Iowa; David, born October 5, 1854 in Missouri; Sarah Ellen, born January 12, 1857 in Kansas, died March 1860 in Richardson County, Nebraska; Mary Elizabeth, born December 22, 1860 in Richardson County, Nebraska; Emma Ann, born October 22, 1863 in La Grande; John H., born May 17, 1866 in La Grande; Issadora B., born February 28, 1870 in La Grande; Laura M., born May 21, 1872, died July 7, 1878 in La Grande.

Charles and Lucretia had nine children after reaching Oregon, eight of which lived to adulthood. They were: Sarah Elizabeth, born October 5, 1865 in Harrisburg, Oregon; William M., born January 9, 1867 in Harrisburg; George F, born December 18, 1868 in Oregon; May, born September 1871, died 1898 in Oregon; Mary Caroline, born April 13, 1873 in Oregon; Fred William, born October 9, 1879 in Oregon; Inis Verdie, born February 21, 1881 in Weston, Oregon; Clyde Earl, born about June 29, 1885 in Wallowa County; Wayne Alfred, born August 11, 1889, near Enterprise, Oregon.

It is not known at this time how Charles earned a living while in Harrisburg or exactly when he came to Union and Wallowa Counties. In the 1880 census he was in Weston. His daughter, Inis, was born in Weston in 1881. In 1882 Charles's daughter, Sarah, was married in Union County. It is thought that they arrived in Wallowa County about 1882. When they lived in Wallowa County, Charles and Lucretia ran an inn and stagecoach stop at Sled Springs and then later ran the Post Office at Flora. Charles died November 16, 1909 in Stites, Idaho and is buried in Paradise, Oregon. Lucretia married again to John W. Emmons and died at Cheney, Washington July 14, 1939 and is buried at Cheney.

For ease of reading and understanding this biography, details and trivia for the children of William and Caroline will be mentioned first and then the children of Charles and Lucretia.

Susan Elizabeth Bay married George Washington Robinson May 17, 1871 in La Grande. They had four children: Willie, born 1872, died 1878; Ida C., born about 1875, married April 15, 1902 at Silver City, Idaho, Ethelbert Haug; Mabel Mae, born February 3, 1879, married January 10, 1923 in La Grande, Nathaniel K. West, a prominent La Grande businessman; George Henry, born November 18, 1882 married Edith Morfitt July 1, 1906 in Baker and has many descendants. Susan Bay Robinson died June 20, 1930 near Summerville and was buried in Hillcrest Cemetery at La Grande, next to her husband George, who had passed away on October 30, 1903.

David Bay went on a cattle drive from Rock Creek to Cheyenne, Wyoming in the year 1878. On June 14, 1882 in Union, Oregon (Union was the county seat at that time) he married Ida May Watson. They had four sons: Harve M., born April 1883, married Lulu Gulling June 7, 1910 in La Grande, lived in La Grande and Enterprise; Francis William born November 8, 1886, married Olive Crawford November 17, 1907 in La Grande, was electrocuted while plumbing underneath a house; Arlie David, born August 1890, moved to Portland; Clare L. born August 29, 1897 moved to Portland, married Kathryn Harris June 16, 1921 in Portland. David Bay, blacksmith in La Grande until retiring in 1902, died August 5, 1929 in Portland and is buried in La Grande. His wife passed away September 28, 1936 and is buried next to David in Hillcrest Cemetery, La Grande.

Mary Elizabeth Bay married Charles Davis Goodnough October 19, 1882 in Union. They had the following children: Bessie Mae, born January 24, 1884 married June 3, 1908 at La Grande, James Ynghar Walnum; Muriel Lovisa, born September 21, 1885 married April 24, 1907, Charles Clinton Bull in La Grande; Roy D., born September 11, 1888, died November 11, 1908; Charles Raymond, born April 19, 1891 married Effie Pearl Conley, May 22, 1922 in La Grande; Cassie Florena, born January 10, 1894, married first Claude Baker September 17, 1914 at Bend, second Eugene Banton (who was later killed in 1955 when the Union County powder house on Owsley Canyon road exploded) in 1941; Chester Edward, born December 21, 1897, died February 11, 1904; Vera Grace, born February 3, 1900, died December 28, 1902; Ronald Lee born January 24, 1904. Mary Bay Goodnough passed away March 17, 1945 and is buried at Hillcrest Cemetery next to her husband, Charles, who had preceded her in death August 1, 1929. Charles for many years had a carpentry and cabinet shop in La Grande.

Emma Ann Bay married first Frank Grant July 28, 1883 in Union, and second James Thomas McKray. Emma moved to Kansas and later lived in Medford, Oregon. Frank and Emma had three daughters: Mabel, who married George Woodling; Bessie, who married Lewis Thompson; Josephine who married Peter Bateman. Emma died November 30, 1944 in Medford, Oregon. Her husband, James McKray, had died in Plumas County, California on March 26, 1934.

John H. Bay married Anna B. Hadley June 28, 1900 in Union County. Anna had been married before to David Benjamin Hearing (Caroline and Lucretia's brother). John and Anna had one son, Lewis, born about 1902. John Bay, also a blacksmith like his father and brother, died August 15, 1905 and is buried in Hillcrest Cemetery at La Grande.

Issadora Bay married Charles G. Winkler February 5, 1888 in Pendleton. They moved to Portland where they had three children: Edgar Bay, born November 20, 1888 married Helen; Edna Grace, born September 11, 1890 married on November 8, 1910, Frank Billington; Nellie Muriel, born November 25, 1892 married April 30, 1912, Charles Alfred Jensen. Issadora died June 8, 1930 in Portland and is buried there.

Sarah Elizabeth "Lizzie" Bay, eldest child of Charles and Lucretia, married Frank W. Heskett on October 11, 1882 near Summerville. They moved to Leap (in Wallowa County) in 1885 where in 1892 Lizzie became postmistress. Irene Barklow in her book, HISTORY OF THE POST OFFICES OF WALLOWA COUNTY, has a picture of the Bay family and some stories about the Bays and the Indians they were acquainted with.

Frank and Lizzie had five children: Maude B., born October 1883 married Albert Childers on January 28, 1903 in Wallowa County; Laura E., born September 1884 married Toney Sherod October 5, 1904 in Wallowa County; Williard B., born February 25, 1888 married Lucy Grace Feagans December 1, 1907 in Wallowa County, later moved to Milton- Freewater; Pearl May, born January 13, 1891 married first, Arthur Wyatt on September 14, 1910 and second, Willie C. Fisher March 27, 1914-both marriages in Wallowa County. Pearl died May 1974 in Clallam County, Washington. Gerald F., born about 1905 married May 22 1929 in Wallowa County, Ernestine Harmon. He became a Minister and lived in Oregon City. Frank Heskett died January 5, 1942, Lizzie died 6 days later on January 11, 1942. Both died at the home of their daughter Maude, near Joseph, and both are buried in Wallowa, Oregon.

William M. Bay's middle initial and name is unclear. Several sources have the middle initial "M". William's youngest daughter said he signed her report cards "William Oscar Bay". Anyway, William married Iantha Deluska Stevenson May 12, 1891 in Union County. William and Iantha had the following children: Maude, born March 15, 1892 in Washington married first, Milo Schilke and second, Clifford Applegate. She resided in Portland. Ira Ivan, born February 12, 1894 in Alkali, Washington married Stella Mae Arnoldus July 29, 1923 in Summerville; LeRoy, born February 1896, died October 4, 1909 when he was run over by a wagon driven by his father; Guy W., born January 26, 1898 in La Grande married Ruth Vandermulen October 10, 1920; Eva Claris, born September 11, 1901 in Summerville, married December 24, 1919 Roy E. Vandermulen in La Grande; Ella Mae, born August 17 1903, married Fred Kolb August 24, 1924 in La Grande. They moved to Portland. William Bay died April 29, 1940 in Pendleton. Iantha passed away November 28, 1968 in La Grande. Both are buried in the family plot in the Summerville cemetery. George F. Bay married Corrine Chambers October 22, 1891 at Starner, Idaho. George died May 12, 1938 at Princeton, Idaho. Corrine died August 12, 1941, also at Princeton.

Mary Caroline Bay married Ulysses S. Chambers July 26, 1891 in Latah County, Idaho. They had two children: Hazel Mae, born October 27, 1892 in Princeton, Idaho. She moved and married William Roy Jones, October 27,1914 in British Columbia, Canada.

Raymond Frank Chambers was born December 14, 1895 at Palouse River, Idaho. He married Blanch Walters; they lived in British Columbia, Canada. Mary Caroline Chambers died August 12, 1947.

Fred William Bay married Nellie Matheney August 9, 1906, in Asotin, Washington. They had three children: Laura, Dee and Charles. Fred died January 19, 1970 in Spokane, Washington and is buried there.

Inis Verdie Bay was married four times. She married first William S. Roberts, December 1, 1897 in Wallowa County; second, James Henry Miller, September 12, 1904 at Ritzville, Washington; third, Henry Milton Showalter, March 8, 1938 at Cheney, Washington; and fourth, Wiley M. Walker, September 10, 1944 in Spokane, Washington. Inis Walker passed away January 16, 1965 at Lewiston, Idaho where she is also buried.

Clyde Earl Bay married Eva L. Foredyce in 1929. They had a son Darrell. Clyde died August 14, 1951 in Lewiston, Idaho. Eva died October 30, 1977, also in Lewiston. Wayne Alfred Bay married Adda Ownbey October 1, 1911 in Enterprise. They had two children: Berna Bonneita, born February 11, 1918 in Oregon, married Elzie O. Lewis August 14, 1952 in Lewiston, Idaho; and Arthur Donavon, born May 20, 1920 in Enterprise, married Lora Dunn August 5, 1948 in Lewiston. Wayne Alfred Bay passed away October 2, 1967 in Enterprise.

Descendants of William and Charles Bay are numerous and have spread out in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, California and Canada. The compiler of the above information has attempted to be as accurate as possible and hopes family members can benefit from this information.

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