* A portrait has been posted on-line at http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~westklic/wcportrait.html
HIRAM CHITTENDEN, deceased. Although Mr. Chittenden has gone to the rest provided for the faithful, still the work that he did in Wasco county may not be overlooked by any one who would write a correct history of the people and of the place. Therefore it is very proper that a memoir of his life should be granted space here at this time. He was a noble, Christian man, well known and highly esteemed by all. Industrious and substantial, the long time he spent in Wasco county could but bring forth results, not only in temporal things but in moral and other ways which result in much good.
Hiram Chittenden was born in Ohio and died at the old homestead at Dutch Flat in June, 1902, aged seventy years. His father died before he was born and his mother very shortly afterward so he never knew the kind care and love of fond parents. He was reared by his father's brother and gained his education in the frontier schools and then followed steamboating with his headquarters in New York state. About ten years were spent thus and then he did warehouse work for five years. After that, he bought land in Michigan and farmed for some years. Finally he determined to come west and accordingly went to San Francisco, whence in the spring of 1880, he journeyed to Wasco county. After looking the county over, he decided to take the place that is now the old homestead and accordingly filed on it. It was one solid mass of timber and brush and Mr. Chittenden had a great work before him in clearing it for farm purposes. However, little by little he did so and began raising diversified crops and the result is that now the place is a very valuable farm.
On March 17, 1888, at The Dalles, Oregon, Mr. Chittenden married Katherine Overmyer, who was born in Fulton county, Indiana. Her father, Jacob Overmyer, was a native of Lindsey, Ohio, and came from a Pennsylvania-Dutch family. For many years they had resided in the colonies and the states and are a very numerous family They are well represented in all the learned professions and many prominent ministers, lawyers, physicians and merchants are found in the family, especially in central United States. Mrs. Chittenden's paternal grandfather was a wealthy merchant in Ohio. Her father married Susan Jones, both natives of Pennsylvania and of Dutch stock. Mrs. Chittenden resided in Fulton county, Indiana, until she came west and married Mr. Chittenden whom she had known for many years. They lived very happily until he was called to the world beyond. They were both members of the Methodist church and active in Sunday-school work as is also the widow at this time. Mrs. Chittenden has taken up the added burdens of life with fortitude and courage and is overseeing the estate and attending to the property that was left. She is a noble Christian woman highly esteemed in the community and has many friends. Mr. Chittenden belonged to no denomination, but was a stanch supporter of the faith of the Bible and showed by his walk his Christian character and his sterling integrity and honesty.
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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.