An Illustrated History of Central Oregon, Western Historical Publishing Company, Spokane, WA. 1905, pp. 392-393. GEORGE A. YOUNG is one of the leading stockmen of the state of Oregon. He has operated very extensively in the country adjoining Shaniko and is known both far and near as a successful stock breeder. At the present time, he is not so actively engaged as heretofore but is taking the deserved retirement that he has earned. He was born in Middlesex village, Massachusetts, on November 25, 1833. John H. Young, his father, was a native of New York state and his parents of the same place. They were of Welsh ancestry and early settlers in the colonies. John H. Young died at Westford, Massachusetts. He was a mechanic and also followed merchandising and hotel keeping. He married Nancy Nutting, whose father, Daniel Nutting, was the maternal grandfather of our subject. He had his thumb shot off while serving with the patriots in the battle of Bunkerhill. He fought all through the Revolution, being in action for eight years, and our subject has a detailed record of the same, together with his discharge which was signed by General Bancroft. Our subject's mother died in 1866 at Westford, Massachusetts. George A. was educated in the public schools of Lowell and then learned the carpenter trade. Afterwards he learned the butcher business and remained in Massachusetts until 1857. Then he came to Oregon in company with L.E. Pratt, journeying via the isthmus. Mr. Pratt had come out to take charge of erecting and operating the first woolen mill on the Pacific coast and Mr. Young assisted in constructing the same. It was completed and began operations in 1857. Then Mr. Koung(sic) wrought for the government in building the barracks at Fort Yamhill. Later, he was in charge of a hotel in Salem but burned out there in 1863. After that, he journeyed to Idaho City and mined for one season. In 1864, we find him at Boise, where he built the Overland hotel in partnership with B.M. Du Rell and Thomas Mallony. In 1866, Mr. Young sold his interests to his partners and prospected and mined until 1870. In that year he returned to Portland and took a meat contract on the Northern Pacific railroad where he was engaged until 1874, when he took up the sheep business with a partner here at Shaniko. While the partner attended the stock, Mr. Young conducted the Clarenden hotel in Portland. Later, he was proprietor of the Occidental there in company with Sam Smith. In 1880, Mr. Young came to this section to visit his sheep ranch and was so taken up with the country and prospects that he decided to locate. Accordingly he made arrangements for the same and in the spring of 181, purchased his partner's interest and since that has been one of the leading stockmen in the state of Oregon. His son, Fred, was in partnership with him much of the time until 1904, when they sold their entire stock interests. At that time, they disposed of seven thousand acres of land, sixteen thousand sheep, fifty horses and about one hundred and fifty cattle. Since he sold, Mr. Young has been devoting his attention to investments and believes that this portion of Oregon is about to make some of the greatest strides of the entire western country. While in the stock business, the firm was known as George A. Koung(sic) and Son. On June 12, 1859, at Brighton, Massachusetts, Mr. Young married Lydia B. Heald, who was born in Anson, Maine, on November 25, 1841, being just eight years younger than her husband, to a day. Her father, Andrew Heald, was a native of Maine and descended from an old and prominent colonial family. He married Mary Houghton, also a native of Maine and from an old an prominent family. Mr. Young has one sister, N. Jane, the wife of Henry S. Bemis, a general merchant at Graniteville, Massachusetts. Mrs. Young has two brothers, Llewellyn and Fred, in Wheeler county, this state, and three sisters, Dorcas, the wife of Joseph W. Twinkham, a farmer in Columbia county, Oregon, and Philena, the wife of John Raulett, a mining man in Oakland, California, and Elizabeth, wife of Charles Hilton, a stockman in Wheeler county and now residing in Portland. Mr. and Mrs. Young have three children: Fred A., for many years in partnership with his father; Agnes, wife of Sheridan W. Soule, a real estate man in Billings, Montana; and Georgie, wife of F.D. Shepherd, residing in Portland, Oregon. Mr. Young is a demitted member of the A.F. & A.M. and the R.A.M. Four generations previous have been members of the same order and at one time, three generations sat in the same lodge. He is also a member of the Elks, the A.O.U.W., the Sons of the Revolution, and the Oregon Pioneers. Politically, Mr. Young is a strong and influential Republican. He takes an active part, has been delegate to the conventions and commissioner of Wasco county. He was a member of the board of pilot commissioners in Portland. For many years, Mr. Young was president of the Oregon Wool Growers' Association and was one of the leading members in promoting the same. He is a man of stamina and wealth and the splendid success he has achieved in Wasco county in the stock business shows him a man of ability in business relations. He has labored faithfully for the improvement and building up of the country and many good things have been traced as the result of his labor and wisdom. ******************* 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.