Shaver, F. A., Arthur P. Rose, R. F. Steele, and A. E. Adams, compilers.  "An
Illustrated History of Central Oregon." ("Embracing Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam,
Wheeler, Crook, Lake, & Klamath Counties")  Spokane, WA: Western Historical
Publishing Co., 1905.  p. 521.
 
FRED H. MEADER

     engaged in the real estate and loan business, and a prominent wheat buyer
of Wasco, Sherman county, was born in Albion, Maine. August 25, 1872. His
parents were, also, natives of the Pine Tree State. George Meader, his father,
is a descendant of an old and distinguished New England colonial family.He
served eleven months during the Civil war in Company G, Twenty-fourth Maine
Volunteer Infantry. At present he lives at Wasco with our subject. The mother of
the latter, Julia (Hanson) Meader, is of an old Maine family. Her father was a
farmer and school teacher.
     Our subject was seven years old when the family moved to Dixon, California,
where they remained five years. Thence they went to Petaluma, remaining eighteen
months. In September, 1886, they cattle to Sherman county, and homesteaded land
near Moro. With them our subject remained, attending the public schools and
assisting on the farm until 1893 George Meader, the father, had one-half section
which, it transpired, was Dalles Military land, and in 1898 the company took
possession of it after our subject had purchased it from his father and sold it
in 1897 to F. R. Messinger. Our subject brought suit against the company for the
value of the improvements and secured a judgment and lien on the property for
two thousand dollars. He paid Messinger back his money, and the company now has
possession of land for which our subject has a patent issued by the United
States government.
     December 6, 1893, at the residence of the bride's parents, Sherman county,
Mr. Meader was united in marriage to Mable Peabody, born in Saybrook, McLean
county, Illinois. She is a lineal descendant of the old and distinguished
Peabody family, well known in American history for many generations. Nathaniel
Peabody was born at Topsfield, Massachusetts, March 1, 1741, and died at Exeter,
New Hampshire, June 27, 1823. He was an officer in the American Revolutionary
war and a delegate to the Continental Congress. George Peabody, the eminent
philanthropist, was a native of Massachusetts, born at Beverly, February 18,
1795. He was an American merchant and banker and justly celebrated for his
practical benevolence. He died in London, November 4, 1860. The mother of Mrs.
Meader, Elizabeth Peabody, died at Wasco, in December, 1902. Her father now
lives with our subject at Wasco. He was one of the first settlers of Sherman
county, and for a time conducted the John Day bridge by virtue of a lease.  He
secured a homestead and other lands, and recently sold eight hundred acres. He
feeds as high as five hundred head of cattle.
     Our subject has one brother and one sister; Ernest, of Sherman county; and
Lillian, wife of Harry A. Page, of Moro.  Mrs. Meader has two half brothers.
Edward and William Froebe, both in New Mexico, and one sister, Callie, wife of
Sidney Blakeman, a farmer in Kansas. Mr. and Mrs. Meader have three children,
boys; Harland, aged nine: Harold, aged seven and Glenn, a little fellow one year
old.
     Our subject is a member of Sherman Lodge, No. 157, I. O. O. F., of Moro,
and the W. 0. W., of Wasco. Politically be is independent. From 1897 until 1901
he was engaged in the mercantile business in Moro, where he erected the first
brick building. Mr. Meader is a bright, voting business man, liberal and
progressive and numbers many friends throughout the county and state.


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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in October 2010 by Diana Smith.  Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.