Farming interests in Columbia county find a worthy representative in Oscar E. King, a well known agriculturist who owns and cultivates a valuable property on section 9, township 11 north, range 40 east. He was born on the farm where he now resides, February 15, 1871, his parents being William B. and Elizabeth (Cantonwine) King, the former a native of Indiana, while the latter was born in Iowa. The father crossed the plains to the Pacific coast as a young man, making his way to California in 1852. There he was employed for a time in survey work and subsequently he conducted the Woodville House, a well known hostelry situated on the Rabbit Creek road, about forty miles from Marysville, California. In 1855 he returned to the east by way of the Isthmus route, but the lure of the west was upon him and again by way of the Isthmus route he made his way to the Pacific coast. In those days hay was worth eighty dollars per ton and Mr. King brought with him six hundred pounds of Hungarian grass seed, expecting to make a small fortune in the growing of hay. The following season, however was one of drought and, failing to raise a crop, his funds were exhausted in the venture and his season's work amounted to naught. In 1862 he came to Walla Walla county, arriving in the city of Walla Walla on the 4th of July. He then went up into the Idaho mines, but not meeting with success, he retracted his steps and spent the winter in Oregon. In the spring of 1863 he again came to Walla Walla and the following spring took a sub-contract under Captain Mullen to carry the mail from Walla Walla to Colville. He took the mail on horseback and remained as mail carrier for two years and nine months. His employer, Captain Mullen, becoming involved in financial difficulties, Mr. King was unable to collect a cent for his services for the entire period. Later he secured the mail contract direct from the government and operated a stage line from Walla Walla to Lewiston for four years. In 1867 he turned his attention to agricultural pursuits, purchasing his farm on the Tucanon river in Columbia county, and in 1868 he settled upon his land, while at the same time he continued to operate his stage line with hired help. He was thus closely and prominently associated with the work of early development and improvement in this section of the northwest. His wife had crossed the plains with her parents in 1863, the family having as their outfit both ox and mule teams. Mrs. King was then a young girl in her teens and drove the mule team throughout the entire journey across the plains. The Cantonwine family spent the winter of 1863-4 in the Willamette valley of Oregon and in the spring of the latter year came to Washington, where they took up a homestead near the present site of Dixie, and later Mr. Cantonwine built the first hotel in Waitsburg, his daughter, Mrs. King, acting as cook for the few boarders who patronized the house in that early period. After locating on his farm William B. King took up a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres adjoining his original place and in subsequent years he and his sons in partnership bought other farm lands until their holdings approximated two thousand acres. Mr. King was thus actively, prominently and successfully identified with the agricultural development of the county until his death, which occurred April 12, 1911. His widow survived him for but a brief period, passing away on the 11th of March, 1912. In their family were four sons and three daughters who are yet living, as follows: Harry and Edwin S., well known farmers of Columbia county, Washington; Oscar E., of this review; Silas L., a resident of Pomeroy, Washington; Zorah I., who is the widow of R. A. Jackson and resides in Dayton; Alice, who gave her hand in marriage to Henry Delaney, a farmer of Columbia county; and Frankie G., the wife of A. P. Cahill, who is a banker of Dayton, Washington.
Oscar E. King pursued his early education in the country schools and supplemented it by a business course in the Portland Business College. After reaching adult age he joined his brothers and his father in their extensive farming operations, and following the father's death the sons continued to cooperate in their farming enterprises until 1915, when the partnership was dissolved and a division of their holdings was made. Oscar E. King now owns five hundred and fifty-six acres of valuable land and is one of the substantial farmers of the Tucanon valley. His business affairs have been carefully managed and directed and his unfaltering enterprise and unremitting diligence have brought to him a substantial measure of success. In his political views he is an earnest republican but has never been an office seeker, and he is widely known as one of the influential citizens of Columbia county.
B. F. BREWER.
B. F. Brewer is one of the most prominent farmers of Walla Walla county, living on township 6, range 36 east. He is the president of the Farmers Union and occupies a foremost position as a representative of that progressiveness which has largely revolutionized farming methods in the past quarter of a century. Moreover, his labors have demonstrated the possibilities of this section for agricultural development and have contributed much to the wealth of the district.
Mr. Brewer was born November 2, 1879, on the farm where he now lives, a son of John F. Brewer, who is mentioned elsewhere in this work. He was reared on the old homestead and pursued a public school education, attending the high schools of Walla Walla and Seattle, while later he became a student in the State Agricultural College at Pullman. Following the completion of his course he entered the First National Bank of Walla Walla as bookkeeper and for four years was identified with that institution. Upon his father's death he took charge of the home farm and has since operated it. He is now cultivating this place of five hundred and twenty acres and he and his mother own conjointly a farm of seventeen hundred and eighty acres, which they purchased in 1908. His farming interests are thus extensive and are conducted according to the most progressive methods. He has the latest improved machinery to facilitate the work of the fields and he understands the scientific principles that underlie all of his activities. In his work, however, it is definitely seen that he is a man of action rather than of theory and sound judgment directing his labors, has brought splendid results.
B. F. BREWER