Hines, H. K. "An Illustrated History of the State of Oregon." Chicago: Lewis
Pub. Co. 1893.  p. 936.
 
GUSTAVUS A. CONE

     an honored Oregon pioneer of 1847, and one of the well-known, prosperous
farmers of French prairie, was born in Rush county, Indiana, November 21, 1823.
His ancestry originated in Scotland, but came to the United States and settled
in Vermont previous to the Revolution and were participants in the Colonial
army. Grandfather, Oliver Cone, fought through that memorable war for
Independence and was in the battle of Plattsburg, and came out of the war
safely, living to be eighty-four years of age. His son, Gustavus A., was born in
Vermont in 1798, and when he reached man's estate he came westward and settled
in the State of Indiana, where he roamed, in Rush county, Miss Mary Garrison.
She was born in South Carolina in 1799.
     The father of our subject removed in 1832 from Rush county, Indiana, to La
Porte county, same State, where they made their home until 1841; then until 1853
he lived in Iowa, and moved to Oregon, settling near Butteville. He died April
7, 1881, and his wife had preceded him in 1878, and only three of the children
still survive. The subject of this notice was the third child in the family and
he was reared on his father's farm in Indiana and there grew to manhood,
attended the common schools and later learned the trade of cooper. At this he
worked until 1847 and on April 12 of that year he left Michigan city, in company
with Mr. Alfred Stanton, to cross the plains to Oregon. He drove an ox team and
they had a long and tedious journey, but arrived safely at Oregon City November
25, 1847.
     After his arrival in Oregon he worked at his trade for some time and in
February, 1849, he went to the mines in California and mined on the south,
middle and north forks of the American river. From the mines he went to
Sacramento and for a few months kept the Sacramento Hotel. While in California
he met with reasonable success and has often made in the mines as much as $100
per day, and saved about $5,000. Mr. Cone came to San Francisco, and in the fall
of 1849 he sailed for Oregon and October 15 he came to his property on French
prairie and purchased the right on a donation claim of 640 acres.
     On his land in Oregon our subject lived alone until December, 1850, when he
married Miss Rebecca Her, a native of Ohio, born February 14, 1834. Her father,
James Her, came to Oregon in 1847. Our subject built a small farm house on the
property in which they began their married life. On this property our subject
has since resided, and his patient industry has been rewarded. He has built a
nice residence and other farm buildings, and now his farm is one of the best in
Oregon. Here has been born seven children, as follows: B. F., who resides in
Moscow, Idaho, where he fills the "office of County Clerk; Louisa, who married
John Murry and resides near her father; Louis died of typhoid fever in his
twenty-first year; Laura is the wife of John W. Long and resides near her
father; Herman resides in "Woodburn; Anna is the wife of Lincoln Rice and
resides in Idaho; and Gustavus A., Jr., is at home with his father. In addition,
Mr. Cone has twelve grandchildren. Mrs. Cone died February 13, 1880. Mr. and
Mrs. Cone had lived together thirty years. She had been an estimable lady, a
faithful wife, kind mother and good neighbor. On December 17, 1883, Mr. Cone was
married to Miss Maria McCollum, a native of Ohio, daughter of Cornelius
McCollum.
     In addition to carrying on his farm, Mr. Cone for seven years engaged in
the mercantile business at Butteville, with his son, B. F., the firm name being
Cone & Son. He is now one of the stockholders of the Farmers' warehouse and
engages in general farming and stock-raising and also is interested in
hop-raising. Every inch of the old farm is still his own. In politics Mr. Cone
is a Republican, becoming one at the time of the formation of the party and is a
man who does not easily change his views. He is a Master Mason and has held all
the offices in the blue lodge. Mr. Cone is an intelligent and capable man and a
creditable representative of the Oregon pioneer of 1847.

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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in April 2012 by Diana Smith.  Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.