"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 482.  Grant County.

MILAS ROACH

     A veritable pioneer of the pioneers, Mr. Roach stands as an exemplary
character in that worthy and never-to-be-forgotten band that has done such
wonders for these western sections, and he has been through all the experiences
and hardships that attend the one that presses into the new regions of nature's
fastnesses but to his credit it is said that in all of these trying scenes and
in every capacity in which he has walked in the pioneer's life he has never
flinched from duty nor swerved from the frank honesty that is so refreshing and
necessary in the make-up of institutions that remain, as well as in individuals
who would be crowned with honor and success.
     On January 17, 1831, in Picken county, South Carolina, Milas Roach was born
to William and Mary (Crooks) Roach.  His early life was spent on a farm with his
parents  and at the age of nineteen he accompanied them to Jackson county
Arkansas, but soon after they arrived there the mother died, and a few days
later the father also, and one brother.  The mother passed away on June 24,
1851, and the father on July 24, 1851.  In 1854 Mr. Roach went to Lavaca county,
Texas, and one year later came via New Orleans and the Isthmus to San Francisco.
He soon went to the Sierra Nevada mines and followed placer mining until 1860,
then went to the Palmyra mines in Nevada and two years later came to Granite
creek in this county.  Following a short stay here he went to Tillamook county,
this state, where he remained for a short time inspecting the country.  Then
followed a trip to the Florence mines in Idaho, where he continued for two years
washing out the nuggets of nature's wealth.  From there he went to Portland and
in 1865 came again to this county and continued at mining in the different camps
until 1869, when he located three hundred and twenty acres where he now lives,
seven miles west from Monument.  He took up stock raising and farming and has
continued steadily in this ever since.  His farm has increased by purchase until
he now owns the generous domain of two thousand acres, which is well improved,
with house, barn, orchards, fencing, and so forth.  Mr. Roach enjoys the
distinction of being one of the first settlers on the north fork of the John Day
in the vicinity of Monument and he has wrought well and wisely for the
development of the county.  Success has attended his efforts and he is today one
of the leading men of substantiality and uprightness in this section.  He enjoys
in unstinted measure the confidence and esteem of all his neighbors and numbers
among his friends all the early pioneers of the county.  Connubial bliss has
never attracted Mr. Roach from the quieter charms of the celibatarian's life and
his golden years are being spent in this peaceful retreat that he has wrought
out by his industry and careful and wise manipulation of the resources that
nature placed in his hands.

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