Hines, H. K. "An Illustrated History of the State of Oregon." Chicago: Lewis
Pub. Co. 1893.  p. 551.
 
HAMILTON M. LINES

     One of the highly respected citizens of Independence and for eight years
the capable Justice of the Peace for the Fifth District of Polk county, is the
subject of the present writing.  He is a native of the State of Indiana, born
November 15, 1836.  He is of English ancestry, his great-grandfather, William
Lines, having emigrated from old England to South Carolina, where he reared a
family of nine children, and died in the ninetieth year of his age.  His son,
Aaron Lines, was born in South Carolina, served as a soldier in the Revolution,
reared a family of eight children, and lived to be seventy years of age.  His
son, Aaron Lines, was also born in South Carolina, in 1769, married Mary Ronon,
a native of North Carolina, born in 1776.  She was the daughter of Mr. Charles
Ronon and they were of Scotch ancestry.  They had a family of twelve children
and reared the eleven to maturity.  This Aaron was a farmer, and he removed to
Indiana when some forty years of age and resided there until he died at the ripe
old age of ninety-seven years, dying in Rush county.  He had served his country
in the war of 1812 and lived the life of an upright man.  His wife had died in
1838.
      Judge Lines was the youngest child and was reared and educated at
Greencastle College, Indiana, and learned the trade of cabinetmaker, beginning
at it when but fourteen years old.  He has followed that trade for a great
portion of his life since.  He removed to Missouri in 1857, engaging in business
in that State.
     On the seventeenth of October, 1859, our subject was united in marriage
with Miss Margaret S. Elliott, a native of Missouri, born February 28, 1843.
She was the daughter of William Elliott, who later became Lieutenant Elliott, of
the Confederate army when the great civil war broke out.  At that time Mr. Lines
volunteered, and in January, 1861, he was mustered into the Confederate army,
joining the First Missouri Cavalry, becoming Sergeant of his company he served
valiantly in many a hard-fought field.  At the battle of Pittsburg Landing his
regiment had captured a battery, but the men on leaving had fired some fuses and
while the gallant boys were cheering, because of the victory, the shells began
to explode, resulting in his being wounded in the hip by one of them, which so
disabled him for three months that he was not able to be with his regiment.
Later he rejoined it and was with it in various fights and at the battle of Pea
Ridge, while making a charge he received a severe saber wound in the left
shoulder.  His collar bone offering support prevented the blow from passing down
through him, but this misfortune disabled him for three months more.
     Our subject again returned to his command, but from exposure and fatigue,
rheumatism set in his wound in the hip and he was obliged to go upon crutches,
consequently he was retired from the service.  After his return home and
recovery he resumed his business of cabinet-making, continuing until 1868 when,
with his wife and two children he crossed the plains to Oregon.  They started on
the fifth day of May, arriving in Polk county in October, having spent about
five months on the journey.  He opened his furniture business in Dallas, where
he remained one year and a half and then, in 1871, came to Independence, where
he remained until 1873, when he removed to Portland and until 1875 remained in
business there.  In the latter year he returned to Independence, where he has
since resided, engaged in the furniture business and also combining undertaking
with it.  In 1881 he retired from the furniture business and has since done all
of the undertaking for all of his section.
     The two children who crossed the plains with him were John William and Mary
Ellen.  She is now the wife of Mr. W. H. Wheeler, a merchant of Independence.
Mr. and Mrs. Lines are both members of the Methodist Church, South.  He is a
member of the Masonic fraternity and in politics is a Democrat.  In 1882 he was
elected Justice of the Peace and from time to time has been re-elected to
succeed himself almost continuously, ever since.  In connection with other
lines, Judge Lines does a large business in conveyancing and collecting, and
during all the years in the trials of numerous cases but two have been appealed
from his decision and in both of these he was sustained, showing that he is a
man who has a good conception of the law, as well as a man of great personal
firmness.  During his long residence in Independence, Judge Lines' record has
been such as to secure the respect and confidence of the whole country.  He is a
very fine, pleasant, genial gentleman, an honor to the position which he holds.

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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in April 2006 by Diana Smith.  Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.