* A portrait has been posted on-line at http://homepages. rootsweb.com/~westklic/wcportrait.html
CHARLES HORACE STRANAHAN, manager of the Wasco Warehouse & Milling Company's warehouse in Hood River, and the first Stranahan to come to the coast, is a man of broad experience in the business field and has acquired a fair amount of this world's goods as a result of his honest endeavors and industry. He was born in St. Lawrence county, New York, on February 12, 1845, the son of James K. and Permelia (Reynolds) Stranahan, mentioned elsewhere in this work. Our subject was reared principally in Minnesota, whither the family went when he was small, four years of age. He remained on the farm with his parents during the summers and attended school in the winters. In September, 1862, Mr. Stranahan enlisted in Company C, Sixth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry under Captain H.F. Bailey and Colonel William Crooks. He served until May 31, 1865 and then received his honorable discharge in Montgomery, Alabama. The first eighteen months were spent in fighting the Indians and then his command went south where he participated in much heavy fighting. He was active at Fort Blakely and Spanish Fort and in many other engagements. After the war he returned to Minnesota and there did farming until 1875, when, with his wife and three children, he came overland to Oregon, settling in Clackamas county. Two years later, in company with his brother, Oscar, who is spoken of in this volume, he came with pack horses over the trail from Portland to Hood River and squatted on railroad land. He farmed the same until 1897, when he purchased a section of choice wheat land in Sherman county, about the largest wheat farm there, and tilled it for two years. He then sold and returned to Hood River, his sons having handled his farm here in the meantime. In 1902, Mr. Stranahan sold this property and purchased other property and accepted a position where we find him at the present time. He has made a good success in his business ventures, is a prosperous man, and like his brother, Oscar, is a leading and influential citizen here.
On November 11, 1869, Mr. Stranahan married Miss Margaret McKinley, a native of Baltimore, Maryland. The wedding occurred in Goodhue county, Minnesota. Mrs. Stranahan's parents, John and Mary (Dunns) McKinley, were natives of Scotland. The father came to the United States with his parents when a child and the family, is a very old and prominent one. President McKinley was from the same family. Mrs. Stranahan's uncle, William McKinley, was known as the "Fighting parson" and was chaplain of the Eighth Wisconsin Infantry during the Civil War. Following that struggle he was for many years president of the Hamlin College in Minneapolis. Mr. Stranahan has three brothers and two sisters, who are mentioned elsewhere in this volume. Mrs. Stranahan has two brothers, Alexander and George, and two sisters, Mrs. Mary McCorkle, and Mrs. Kate Sumner. In political matters, our subject is a stanch Republican and is frequently at the county conventions, and is a careful and enterprising man. Fraternally, he is affiliated with the A.F. & A.M., and the R.A.M., while in church matters he is allied with the Unitarians. Mrs. Stranahan belongs to the Methodist church.
The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Stranahan are named as follows: James A., mentioned elsewhere in this work; George F., a contractor and builder; Charles H., a farmer; John L., also a farmer; Maud M., a teacher; Ida E., also a teacher; and Eva B., a bookkeeper. All are in Hood River. Maggie A., died in 1898, aged eleven. Bessie P. and Oscar E., are school children. Misses Maud and Ida are very popular and thorough educators, the former having charge of the school in the Crapper district, the largest single room school in the county, having more than fifty pupils, while the latter is now teaching in Sherman county. They maintain a very high standing and enjoy a well merited popularity.
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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in January 2005 by Jeffrey L. Elmer. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.