Shaver, F. A., Arthur P. Rose, R. F. Steele, and A. E. Adams, compilers.  "An
Illustrated History of Central Oregon." ("Embracing Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam,
Wheeler, Crook, Lake, & Klamath Counties")  Spokane, WA: Western Historical
Publishing Co., 1905.  p. 790.
 
J. H. GRAY

     one of the leading and representative men of Crook county, devotes his
attention to farming and stock raising. He resides twenty-four miles east from
Prineville on the Burns stage road and has an estate there of nearly two
thousand acres. When he first acquired the place, it was very much run down but
by his thrift and wisdom, he has made it one of the richest ranches in Crook
county. He handles a great many horses and cattle of the finest strains. He also
breeds Poland China hogs. Among cattle, he pays the most attention to the
Hereford stock and his thoroughbreds are among the finest to be found in this
part of the state. Altogether, he is a very successful and wealthy stockman.
     Among the ancestors and relatives of Mr. Gray, we will give a brief mention
of the following. His great-great-grandfather, Mr. Jackson of Ireland, married
Miss Horner, also a native of Ireland and to them was born Martha Jackson. James
Gray married Martha Jackson in Ireland. He was born in 1725 and died in
Kentucky. To this marriage were born the following named children : Nizzle, on
September 3, 1745, who died in Pennsylvania, on June 3, 1767 ; Mary, on February
19, 1747, married David Cowan of Bourbon, Kentucky ; Rachel, February 28, 1749,
married Mr. Cowan in Pennsylvania ; George, May 10, 1751, and died September 21,
1775, the date he was to be married: Gennett, August 20, 1753, died July 30,
1767; James, June 11, 1755, married Mary Caldwell in Pennsylvania and died at
Bourbon, Kentucky ; Elizabeth, November 5, 1757, married Joseph McEnulta and
died at Nicholas, Kentucky, in 1804 ; Sarah, May 24, 1760 and married David
McKinley ; William, on November 8, 1762, and married Miss Mary, last name lost ;
David, on January 18, 1767, married Nancy Mooney, in Kentucky, in 1792. Martha (
Jackson) Gray, the mother of these above mentioned, was a cousin of General
Jackson and lived to be one hundred and five years of age, her death occurring
in Kentucky. To David Gray and Nancy (Mooney) Gray were born the following named
children : Nancy Gray, on April 21, 1793 ; James, on January 27, 1797 Martha, on
March 26, 1799 ; John, on December 19, 1802 ; William, on February 7, 1805 ;
David, October 23, 1807 ; and Jane, in 1813. The first two of these seven
children were born in Bourbon, Kentucky. The other five were born in Nicholas,
Kentucky. Their father, David Gray, died in Preble county, Ohio, on November 23,
1840. His father died in Preble county, Ohio, on November 25, 1837. Of the seven
children of David and Nancy (Mooney) Gray, we have record of the death of six :
Nancy Gray died in Crawfordsville, Linn county, Oregon when ninety-four years of
age; Martha, died in Preble county, Ohio, December 14, 1845 ; John, who is the
father of the immediate subject of this sketch, died in Portland, Oregon in
February, 1879, it is supposed that he was drugged and put out of a hotel at
night ; he was found on the street insensible and died a few hours after being
taken to the hospital ; William died in Preble county, Ohio, where he lived on
the old home place of his parents from the time they came there from Kentucky
until his death ; David died at Albany, Oregon, and was buried on his donation
claim beside his wife, Elizabeth, who had died many years previously, near
Halsey, Oregon ; Jane died in Nicholas, Kentucky in 1813, aged twenty-one years.
Nancy (Mooney) Gray, the mother of these children named, is the grandmother of
J. H. Gray, the subject of this sketch. Her father was Patrick Mooney and would
be the great-grandfather of J. H. Gray. This venerable patriarch was born in
1681 and died December 14, 1799, being one hundred and eighteen years of age. He
married Jane Beard of Ireland and to them were born in Virginia, United States,
on March 1, 1768, Nancy Mooney. After the death of his first wife Patrick Mooney
married a second time. This wedding occurred when he was one hundred years of
age and his bride was eighteen years of age. They lived together-eighteen years
before his death. Patrick Mooney was a well educated and prominent man. He was
born in the north of Ireland but came of Scotch ancestry. One time during his
life, while on a pleasure voyage their ship was wrecked. He and two others were
attacked by pirates and sold as slaves on the island. Later they succeeded in
making their escape and came to America. The Gray family is related to the
families of Presidents McKinley and Jackson.
     J. H. Gray, who is the immediate subject of this sketch, was born in Linn
county, Oregon, on April 23, 1855, the son of John and Isabel (Rook) Gray,
natives of Kentucky and Scotland, respectively. The father came with his parents
to Ohio when a boy, crossed the plains in 1852 with ox teams and located on a
donation claim in Linn county, Oregon, and became a very prominent and
well-to-do man. We have already mentioned concerning his death. His wife came to
the United States when a young lady and accompanied him across the plains after
their marriage. Our subject was educated in Linn county and there grew up and
engaged in farming. In 1876, he came to Crook county and wrought for wages for
two years, then went into a blacksmith shop at Prineville, completing the trade
there. Later he bought land and also took government lands Finally he sold his
property and in 1899, bought the estate where he is now located.
     In 1875, Mr. Gray married Rebecca Hunsaker who was born in the Willamette
valley and came to Crook county in early days. The children born to this union
are O. C., a merchant at Prineville, and treasurer of Crook county ; Bruce, also
in the mercantile business in Prineville ; Pearl, the wife of Mr. Rowell, a
rancher in Crook county; and Roy, farming with his father. In 1896, Mr. Gray was
appointed by Governor Lord a member of the state board of agriculture but owing
to the fact that he had just been elected sheriff of Crook county, he was unable
to accept. He filled that important office for two terms and county assessor one
term, and was a very excellent official.
     Mr. Gray is a member of the I. O. O. F., a prominent man and one of the
leading citizens of central Oregon.


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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in January 2008 by Diana Smith.  Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.