"An Illustrated history of Baker, Grant, Malheur and Harney Counties : with a
brief outline of the early history of the state of Oregon." Chicago?: Western
Historical Pub. Co., 1902.  Page 557.  Malheur County.

JAMES C. FORD

     This well known and enterprising stockman has been a man of frontier life,
spending his days since a lad in the various pursuits incident to pioneering,
and especially has he been occupied in raising and handling stock, being one of
the best posted and most skillful stock men in this county of stock men, and
abundant success has been his since he has inaugurated action for himself.
     Mr. Ford was born in Arkansas, October 15, 1856, being the son of William
Ford.  His mother died when he was an infant and he was taken by his father to
Tennessee and when the war broke out, the father sent this son to friends in
Illinois and joined the ranks to fight for the Union.  At the close of the war
the father died and our subject was left an orphan.  He was filled with
determination and courage and soon we find him in Texas, riding the range and
becoming familiar with the hardships of the cowboy and all the lore of handling
and breeding cattle successfully.  He worked for the noted Chisum Company and
made several drives from Texas and Mexico to the north.  It was 1879 when he
came to this country.  He was engaged first with Ryan & Lang, driving cattle for
three years to Montana, after which he made a drive for Mayberry, from The
Dalles to Wyoming.  He next operated for Con Shea, being foreman for him for
three years and then he retired from riding the range and went into business for
himself.  He now has a fine ranch of five hundred and sixty acres of fertile
land on Sucker creek, six miles west from Rockville.  He has good buildings, the
estate well improved, raises hay, grain and alfalfa, and also has a fine herd of
Hereford and Shorthorn cattle.  Being an experienced stockman, Mr. Ford
understands the value of raising the best and doing so in a skillful manner.
     On November 25, 1888, Mr. Ford married Miss Fannie, daughter of Charles and
Mary (Wilson) Smith, who are mentioned in this volume.  Mrs. Ford is a native of
Salem, Oregon, and she is a woman of many virtues and graces and presides over
the comfortable rural home with becoming dignity, while this worthy couple are
valuable members of society, being esteemed by all.

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