Hines, H. K.  "An illustrated history of the state of Oregon."  Chicago: Lewis
Pub. Co., 1893.  pg. 971.
 
J. W. BRIEDWELL

     J. W. Briedwell, a widely and favorably known Oregon pioneer of 1852, and
an intelligent and progressive farmer and business man of Yam Hill county, was
born in Lawrence county, Indiana, February 17, 1832.  His father, George B.
Briedwell, was born in Shelby county, Kentucky, and was of German descent, his
ancestors having emigrated from the Fatherland to America previous to the
Revolution, some members of which distinguished themselves in that memorable
struggle for independence.  He married Miss Sarah Maize, a native of Alabama,
and of English ancestry.  They had nine children, seven sons and two daughters,
all but one now living.  In 1845 the family removed to Iowa, then the extreme
frontier, where they resided at the time of the father's death in 1869.  He was
universally esteemed for his many sterling qualities of mind and heart, and left
many friends to mourn his loss.
     The subject of our sketch was reared on his father's farm in Iowa, and
attended the district school in the vicinity of his home.  When not quite twenty
years of age, on October 13, 1851, he was married to Miss Mary Edmonston, a
native of Adams county, Illinois, and in the following spring started with his
bride across the plains to Oregon.  He started with five yoke of oxen, three
cows and a yearling heifer, all of which, except one yoke of oxen and the
heifer, gave out and died on the journey, and they were obliged to lighten the
load by throwing away their books and other weighty articles, which they highly
prized.  Added to this, Mrs. Briedwell had mountain fever, and the situation was
most dark and discouraging, and could they have been placed back in their
Eastern home, they would not have undertaken such a disastrous journey.  There
was, however, but one alternative, which was to push forward, which they did
with all possible haste.
     On arriving at Salmon Falls their only means of crossing was to convert the
wagon boxes into boats, which they did, and the one in which they had most of
their provisions sank and they lost its contents, and were obliged to buy sugar,
coffee and flour, for which they paid from six bits to $1 a pound.  However,
through it all they arrived in Portland, where they wintered.  Mr. Briedwell did
some teaming and also purchased some wheat in the Tualitin valley, which he had
converted into flour, which he sold, and in his way managed to live and
accumulate a little money.
     In the following spring he took a claim of 320 acres, locating near
Wheatland, in Yam Hill county, on which he built a cheap house, in which he and
his wife resided for five years.  At the end of this time he sold the land
advantageously to Mr. Joseph Watt, and purchased the place on which he has since
resided, which is situated one mile west of Amity.  He first purchased 160
acres, on which there was a small house, five acres of the land being fenced.
Here he and his family resided, and by steady industry he continued to prosper,
adding from time to time to his original purchase, until he now owns 460 acres
of some of the choicest agricultural lands in Yam Hill county.
     In 1881 he erected a large warehouse on his property, through which the
railroad runs, and soon became an extensive dealer in grain, handling annually
100,000 bushels.  This enterprise has completed his prosperity, which was
already very substantial.
     Mr. and Mrs. Briedwell have seven children, most of whom live in the
vicinity.  Margaret, the eldest, is the wife of James McCarty, and resides in
Washington; Mary Ann is the wife of K. Kimman, and lives in Amity; Minnie V.
married H. Holmes, and they live on the home farm; G. W. is managing the
warehouse, and was County clerk for four years; John W. is a prominent merchant
of Amity; and Edward is in the hardware business in McMinnville.
     On April 28, 1889, Mrs. Briedwell died, leaving her family and friends to
mourn her loss.  She had been a faithful wife for thirty-eight years, and was a
devoted mother and sympathetic friend, and was widely esteemed for her many
Christian virtues and loving heart.  Her loss is especially severe on her
devoted husband, to whom she was a helpmate in the truest sense of the word,
contributing in no small degree to his prosperity.
     Politically Mr. Briedwell is a Democrat, but has never taken any very great
interest in politics other than desiring the election of honorable men to
office, preferring rather to give his attention to his private affairs.  He is a
Past Master Workman of the A. O. U. W., and is a worthy member of the Christian
Church, to the support of both of which he contributes liberally of his means.
     Thus is merit rewarded by prosperity and the confidence and esteem of all
honorable men.

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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in April 2005 by Diana Smith.  Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.