Clark, Robert Carlton, Ph.D. "History of the Willamette Valley Oregon." Vol. 3. Chicago: Chapman Publishing Company, 1927. p. 255. JOHN KREBS John Krebs, who owns a fine hop ranch near Jefferson, Marion county, has had a varied and interesting career, in various states of the Union, but has wisely decided that the Willamette Valley affords as many advantages for a place of permanent residence as any other part of the country, and here he has been engaged in farming for fifty years, meeting with a very satisfactory measure of success. Mr. Krebs was born in Washington county, Wisconsin, on the 3d of October 1856 and is a son of Joseph and Cordelia (Goulden) Krebs, both of whom were natives of Germany. His father came to the United States in 1838 and settled in Washington county, Wisconsin, of which locality he was a pioneer. He took up a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres and preempted other land, becoming the owner of six hundred and forty acres, practically all of which was covered with heavy timber. He cleared practically all of the land, created a good farm, and lived thereon during his remaining years, raising big crops of grain and keeping large herds of horses and cattle. He died October 5, 1886, and was survived many years by his widow, who passed away November 4, 1915. They were the parents of fourteen children, William, Paulina, John, Robert, Leonard, Maggie, Conrad, Frank, Cordelia, Josephine, Michael, Anna and two who died in infancy. John Krebs was educated in the public schools of his native state, in which he lived until 1875, when he went to Grand Island, Nebraska, and engaged in the meat business in partnership with his brother, William. Later he made a trip to Texas, where he bought five hundred head of fine three- and four-year-old steers, for which he paid eleven dollars a head. These he drove through to Oklahoma and Kansas and sold. He was in Nebraska two years, after which he sold his interests there and, in 1877, came to Oregon, locating at Brooks, Marion county, about nine miles north of Salem, where his father had bought for him a ranch of two hundred and eighty acres. He engaged in farming, raising grain and some livestock, and remained on that place until 1885, when he went to Tillamook county, Oregon, where he became the owner of a sawmill, which he operated until 1909. He also bought a large tract of timber land and in the operation of the mill he met with a fine measure of success. In 1910 Mr. Krebs purchased one hundred and thirty-one acres of land, seven miles west of Jefferson, a part of the old Hoover donation claim, which was filed on in 1852. Twenty-two acres of the land was in hops and he planted an additional twenty-five acres to hops, so that he now has a splendid hop farm, in the operation of which he has prospered. He also has a few acres in hay, keeps four head of horses and utilizes a tractor in his farm work. Mr. Krebs at times has made several diversions from his farm work, having, in 1879, made a voyage on the "Great Republic" to the Argentine for the purpose of seeing the country. However, he did not like it, and returned to Oregon better pleased than ever with this country. In 1898 he went to Dawson City, in the Yukon, where he. mined for about a year, returning to the States in the fall of that year. In the following spring he went back to Alaska, taking with him a large pumping outfit, and mined on the beach at Nome with good success, operating there throughout the summer. He then sold the equipment and machinery and returned to Oregon. He is now planning to make a trip to Europe in 1928. On May 21, 1881, Mr. Krebs was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth H. Schumer, who was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a daughter of John and Theresa(Bachmeier) Schumer, both of whom were natives of Germany, the father having been born in West Prussia and the mother in Munchen, Bavaria. Her father came to the United States in 1845, when sixteen years of age, and located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he became one of the first members of the city fire department. He served for twenty-six years as a driver, but was injured in the line of duty, after which he obtained easier employment as a watchman. He died March 18, 1881, from the effects of his injury, and his wife passed away March 11, 1912. They were the parents of six children, namely: Mrs. Magdalena Riss, deceased; Mrs. Mary Sthlagman, who lives in Nebraska; Mrs. Elizabeth Krebs; Mrs. Theresa Bryan, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and two who died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Krebs have no children of their own, but took his nephew, William W. Krebs, a son of Leonard Krebs, who came to them when three years old, and they have given to him the same care and affection that would have been shown to a child of their own. He graduated from Mt. Angel high school and now has full charge of the home ranch, owning also sixty acres, which he devotes to grain raising. Mr. Krebs is a member of Salem Lodge, No. 336, B. P. 0. E. He has proven a good citizen in every respect, standing for those things which contribute to the prosperity and welfare of the community, and he well deserves the confidence and esteem in which he is held throughout his section of the county. ******************* Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in June 2016 by Diana Smith. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.