Clark, Robert Carlton, Ph.D. "History of the Willamette Valley Oregon."  Vol. 3.
Chicago: Chapman Publishing Company, 1927. p. 215.

J. R. LILES

     Among the fruit raisers and market gardeners of Lane county J. R. Liles is
well known because of his successful record, as well as for his high personal
character. Mr. Liles was born near Crow, west of Eugene, in 1868, and is a son
of J. W. and Margaret M. (Job) Liles. The father, who died in 1898, crossed the
plains in boyhood with two brothers, Joseph and William, and a sister, Barbara,
all of whom are deceased. He took up a donation claim near Crow, Lane county,
and in his early days here gave his chief attention to raising cattle. He took a
leading part in the development of the new country, doing much donation road
work and serving as a member of the school board. He served through the Rogue
River war as a spy and had many exciting experiences with the Indians. He also
participated in the stirring events of early California mining days. The mother,
who died in October, 1926, was brought across the plains in 1853, when but a
child, her father taking up six hundred and forty acres of land near Elmira. She
was a very active woman and retained her bodily vigor to a remarkable degree
almost up to the time of her death, which occurred when she was eighty-one years
of age. She was the mother of nine children, all surviving except one.

     J. R. Liles secured his education in the public and high schools of Eugene,
after which he turned his attention to the hop business, being one of the first
to plant hops in this locality. He carried on that business for twenty-five
years, and during that period lived at Creswell and Pleasant Hill. About 1920
Mr. Liles bought two hundred acres of land where he is now living, and planted
five acres to peaches, two acres to cherries and a considerable tract to
strawberries and raspberries. He engaged extensively in the raising of cabbages,
meeting with such success that in 1926 he was called the champion cabbage raiser
of Oregon, shipping his product to all sections of the coast. He is planning to
raise two hundred tons of cabbages in 1927. He has a fine farm, well improved in
every respect, and has shown excellent judgment in its operation.

     In 1898 Mr. Liles was united in marriage to Miss Lucy Mulkey, who was horn
in Kansas, a daughter of Willis J. and Mary (Davis) Mulkey. Her father died in
1918 and her mother now lives in Eugene. The Mulkeys are an old family in this
section of the valley, though her own family came here about 1886, when she was
nine years of age, locating near Pleasant Hill. Mr. Mulkey was a nephew of
Philip Mulkey, who arrived here in an early day and took up a donation claim
where Mulkey cemetery is now located. He was a preacher and rode the circuits in
this part of the state. Two of Willis J. Mulkey's brothers, I. N. and A. H.
Mulkey, also were preachers, the first named locating at Pleasant Hill, near
Eugene. To Mr. and Mrs. Liles have been born six children, as follows: Paloma,
the wife of E. A. Jones, of Eugene, and the mother of two children, Alberta and
Lois Helen; she entered the University of Oregon at the age of fifteen years;
Vesta, who is the wife of Arthur Stolda, who lives on the home place; Elwood,
Vernon, Larry and Mary Margaret, at home. Mr. Liles has served as road
supervisor of his district and is now chairman of the Santa Clara school board
and Mrs. Liles also takes an effective interest in the welfare of the schools.
He possesses a valued relic of pioneer days, consisting of a large part of a
wagon that was hauled across the plains by his father's party. Possessing many
excellent qualities, Mr. Liles has shown a helpful spirit in all community
affairs and in every relation of life has done his full part, being regarded as
one of the worthy citizens of his locality.

     
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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.