"Portrait & Biographical Record of the Willamette Valley Oregon." Chapman Publishing Company, 1903. p. 983. CHARLES BRUCE MONTAGUE With a wide knowledge of the advantageous locations of various parts of the world, Charles Bruce Montague selected, Lebanon, Linn county, Ore., as a place of residence. There he has become an important factor in the business and political affairs of the community. Previous to his retirement from the active cares of life, in 1892, he had been engaged in the mercantile business, for twenty-five years having successfully conducted a store. He has held various political offices, his broad-minded, earnest thought and effort being calculated to elevate, the character of both state and municipal government. Mr. Montague is the representative of an old Scottish family, his ancestors having figured in various political warlike movements associated with the fortunes of England. His grandfather, Andrew Montague, a native of Scotland, and the son of another Andrew, whose birth and death occurred in that country, held the rank of major at the battle of Waterloo. He died in Scotland, when fifty years old. The father of Mr. Montague, Thomas, was born in Scotland and came to the United States about 1847, and as a contractor he was employed by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. After spending four years in different sections of the Union, and seeing the greater part of the western country, he returned to Scotland in 1853. His wife, Katherine De Courcey, likewise a native of Scotland, where she died, was the mother of four sons and three daughters, of whom Charles Bruce was the fourth. He was born in Argyll, Scotland, January 4, 1833. He came with his parents to America in 1847, when he was sixteen years old. His education was obtained in private schools in his native land. Having an uncle, John De Courcey by name, located in San Francisco, Cal.. Mr. Montague passed a part of, the year 1852 with him, working in his uncle's mercantile establishment. Returning to Scotland, he enlisted in 1854 for service in the Crimean war, and served until the fall of 1856, with the commission of lieutenant. After the close of his service he returned to London, England, from which city he made trips to various parts of Europe, journeying through Ireland, Scotland,. France, Egypt, and Greece, spending some time in Athens. In 1858 Mr. Montague returned to the United States, and after a short time spent in San Francisco he came to Oregon. Soon after he started for the mines of the Fraser river, but changed his mind when he reached Salem, and began teaching school in the Waldo Hills. Three years later he joined the First Oregon Cavalry, became first. sergeant in Company B, and freely gave his services to his adopted country in her time of need. He remained in the service from 1861 to 1864, in the last-named year being mustered out at Vancouver, Wash. In the same Year he became chief clerk, under Captain Hopkins, of the United States quartermaster depot, stationed at Vancouver. In 1866 he was ordered to San Francisco. The next year found him located in Sitka, Alaska, by order of the government. Three years later he resigned his office as chief clerk and, coming to Lebanon, Linn county, Ore., he was there engaged in the mercantile business for twenty-five years. Mr. Montague was married in Marion county, Ore., in 186o to Martha Peebler, a native of Iowa, who died in Lebanon. She was the daughter of David Peebler, a pioneer of 1852, who died in Lebanon at the age of ninety-six years. The six children born to Mr. and Mrs. Montague, three sons and three daughters, are named in order of birth as follows : Elmer E., of Albany, V Ore. ; Clara N. ; Mary, the wife of G. W. Giboney, D. D.. pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Spokane, Wash. ; Charles D., a member of the board of examiners in the United States custom service in Portland, Ore.; Ida M., wife of Dr. J. S. Courtney, of Dayton, Ore.; and Robert B., who is engaged in the real estate business in Albany. In 1879 he was united in marriage with Mrs. Priscilla C. Redpath of Albany, Ore. She is a native of Saline county, Mo., the daughter of Dr. Nathaniel Ostrander, deceased. He was a native of the Hudson valley in New York state, removed to Missouri in young manhood, and in 1852 came to the Pacific coast, locating on the Cowlitz river. For about forty years he was continually engaged in the practice of medicine, being located for over a quarter of a century in Olympia, Wash., where his death occurred in 1901. Mrs. Montague's uncle, J. L. Yantis, D. D., a native of Kentucky, became a pioneer minister of the Presbyterian Church in Oregon, and founded the First Presbyterian Church of Portland in 1852. In 1853 he removed to Linn county and took up a donation claim located near the site of the town of Shedds. The latter years of his life were spent in Missouri. In addition to the property upon which Mr. Montague makes his home, a large and handsome dwelling, which he built in 1890, he owns other residence and business property in Lebanon and also farming land near Vancouver, Wash. In his political associations a Democrat, in 1891 he ably represented his party in the state legislature, as a member of the house of representatives, and there exercised no little influence through his associations upon various important committees. He has been active in municipal affairs, having served as mayor of the city for many terms, and also as a member of the council. In 1896 he became county clerk for Linn county, a position he filled for two years. Fraternally Mr. Montague is a Mason. He belongs to the Presbyterian Church. ******************* Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in August 2007 by Diana Smith. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.