Gaston, Joseph.  "Portland, Oregon Its History and Builders."  Vol. 3. 
Chicago and Portland, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1911. p. 665.
 
JOHN R. SPURGEON
 
     A distinctive characteristic of the entire region of the Pacific northwest
is that it was very largely settled by pioneers from the states of the Atlantic
coast or the Mississippi valley. These intrepid men and women here applied the
lessons of self-reliance and unflagging industry that have been most productive
of beneficial results in older settled communities and they quickly transformed
a wild and rugged country into a pleasing abode for man. The children of the
pioneers and later comers from all quarters of the globe are now enjoying the
advantages presented through the severe labors of early settlers and in numerous
instances are established in homes that they themselves have built as the result
of well directed effort and wise forethought that should be one of the
elementary teachings in every rightly conducted family.
 
     Among those of the younger generation who have gained a foothold in the
wonderful valley of the Columbia is John R. Spurgeon, a prosperous young farmer
whose home is near Vancouver. He was born on a farm near Vancouver, November 9,
1882, and is a son of Mathias Spurgeon, a pioneer of 1852, whose record appears
elsewhere in this work and who is now living retired at Vancouver, and Olive
(Dillon) Spurgeon, also a member of a pioneer family, who was the mother of two
daughters and four sons, all of whom are now living. John R. Spurgeon grew up
under the kindly care of loving parents and received a good common-school
education and in 1902, at the age of twenty years, began devoting his entire
time to the farm and assisted his father for one year. At the end of that period
he was associated with H. R. Brooks for one year in farming and then they bought
a confectionary store in Vancouver, which they conducted for a number of months.
In 1906 Mr. Spurgeon resumed operations upon the home farm, continuing until
January, 1910. In the meantime he had purchased twenty acres of land adjoining
and he now devotes his attention to his own property, which he has converted
into a fruit farm, containing eighteen acres set in prune, apple and walnut
trees. This makes quite a valuable property and one that under the favoring
conditions of this region is capable of yielding handsome annual returns.
 

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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in July 2017 by Diana Smith. Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.