"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 494.  Grant County.

JOSEPH N. DITMARS

     In the person of the subject of this sketch we have one of the doughty and
intrepid pioneers of the entire northwest and a man of great and varied
experiences, which have given him a breadth of comprehension, which, augumented
by his natural keenness and executive force, make him one of the strong men of
Grant county.  Joseph N. was born in Clinton county, Ohio, in March, 1846, being
the son of Abraham and Jennie (Perkins) Ditmars, natives of Ohio and Kentucky,
respectively.  In 1849 the family came to Clinton county, Missouri, where our
subject was reared on a farm and educated.  In 1861 he enlisted in Price's army
and fought at Corinth, after which he went to Virginia and served until the
close of the war, being wounded once.  At that time he went to Texas for a time
and then returned to Missouri, where he remained until 1867.  We next see him in
Nevada, mining, and in the fall of 1868 he went to Fraser river in British
Columbia, and in the following year he went to Bena river, in Alaska, but the
guide died and the party were lost, and spent the winter at Fort Sill,
subsisting on rabbits.  In 1870, he retuned to Nevada, going the entire distance
afoot, arriving there late in the summer.  He was occupied there mining, with
good success until 1881, when he went to Fresno, California, and there mined and
built mills until August, 1887, at which time he went to China, being engaged by
that government as mining engineer in the Ping To gold mines.  On account of
failing health, after two years he returned to the United States, and came to
Oregon with the intention of going into the stock business.  Arriving at the
Greenhorn district he was so impressed with the mineral wealth of that section
that he abandoned the stock business and went to keeping store with Neal Niren
in Granite.  The firm was known as Niren & Ditmars for eight years and then they
sold out, after which he spent two years in the lumber business and now our
subject devotes his entire time to the care of his property in Granite, and
mining and building mills, being an expert in both of these lines.  Mr. Ditmars
owns the hotel Granite, one store building, and several residences in Granite.
     Fraternally Mr. Ditmars is affiliated with the A.F. & A.M., Lodge No. 47,
of Baker City, and he is one of the prominent men of this portion of Grant
county, being one of the progressive and enterprising spirits of the county, and
is held in high esteem and respect by all.

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