"Portrait & Biographical Record of the Willamette Valley Oregon." Chapman Publishing Company, 1903. p. 413. THOMAS V. B. EMBREE, M.D. When Dr. Thomas V. B. Embree arrived in Oregon City December 24, 1844, he found the largest aggregation of houses and people anywhere assembled on the coast. At the time he was eight years of age, having been born five miles from La Fayette, Howard county, Mo., August 14, 1836. As one of the early pioneers of Oregon he has contributed his share to its upbuilding, and has practiced medicine within its borders for more than forty-two years. The establisher of the Embree family in America was the paternal great-grandfather of the doctor, who was born in England, and left his plantation in Virginia to participate in the war of independence. This southern plantation was the birthplace of his son, Thomas, the paternal grandfather, who in early life removed to Kentucky, but died on the farm in Howard county, Mo., to the pioneer development of which he devoted the last years of his life. Carey Duncan Embree, the father of Thomas V. B., was born in Clark county, Ky., January 11, 1806, and was the sixth-born in a family of fifteen children. Owing to both the want of facilities and time, his early education was extremely limited, not exceeding a year and a half in all. At the age of twenty-eight he married Lucinda Fowler, a native of his own town, who was two years younger than himself, and with whom and their children, Thomas V. B., Mary Isadore, Marcellus A., and Benton, he started on the long journey across the plains. The family was equipped with wagons, six oxen, two cows and one horse. They had many experiences of a trying nature, and the weather was exceedingly inclement, the rain setting in soon after they left Boonville, and continuing at frequent intervals until the first of July. Arriving at Fort Hall, the sole remaining ox team was traded for one strong, reliable animal, and thus reinforced they proceeded on their way, meeting with difficulties from steep inclines, and inconvenience because of a depleted larder. However, the latter trouble was overcome through sending to Dr. Whitman for supplies. Upon arriving at The Dalles Mr. Embree was the possessor of but $1, and with this money he purchased a bushel of potatoes, some sugar and tea for his sick wife, after which they resumed the journey, meeting with many more obstacles than it is possible to enumerate in this work. Just above Dixie Mr. Embree took a claim of six hundred and forty acres, and here he settled with his wife and five children, one of whom had been born near the end of their journey. The family lived in their wagons while the father hewed wood for the little cabin, his heart heavy, because of the almost entire absence of money, and the necessities of life, but the industry of the head of the family soon brought a change, and in time the property developed into one of great value. The year 1881 was a sad one for this patient and resourceful pioneer, for the wife who had so faithfully aided him in accomplishing his object in life was killed by falling from a wagon, being at the time seventy-five years of age. Mr. Embree went to California during the gold excitement of 1849, returning by boat, being forty-nine days upon the way. A few years before his death, at the age of ninety-four years and five months, he removed to Dallas, where he owned a twelve-acre lot, and where he worked as inclination dictated. He was an old time Democrat with pronounced southern tendencies, and as a politician was quite prominent in the early days of his arrival in Oregon. He was the first sheriff of Polk county, but resigned when asked to attach the property of a poor man, for his humanity and extreme kindness of heart rebelled at that seeming injustice of the law. On his father's farm Dr. Embree was reared to hard work, and his early education was acquired under difficulties. At the age of twenty-two, in 1858, he began the study of medicine under J. W. Boyle, and in 1860 entered the medical department of the University of the Pacific in San Francisco, now the Cooper Medical College. After the first course he began to practice medicine in La Fayette, and later practiced in Amity and Lewisville, locating in Dallas in 1874. He graduated from the medical department of Willamette University in 1881, and the same year entered upon a three and a half years' practice in Corvallis. After eight years in Burns, Harney county, he returned to Dallas, where he devoted his best endeavors to the practice of his chosen profession, being one of the oldest physicians in active practice who acquired their professional training in the state. In 1903 he moved to Portland. In October, 1855, Dr. Embree participated in the Yakima Indian war as a member of Company G, First Oregon Infantry, under command of Capt. Benjamin Hayden. Later he was a member of Company B, commanded by Capt. B. F. Burch. Until 1892 he was a stanch Democrat, but since then he has allied himself with the Populist party. He was a candidate for the state legislature in 1900, but was defeated. He is a member of the National Committee of the Allied People's Party, and a member of the state committee and ex-chairman of the county committee. For one term he was coroner of Polk county, and of Benton county for the same length of time. He is a member of the State Historical and State Pioneer Associations. In Corvallis, Benton county, Ore., Dr. Embree married, in 1868, Annie E. Finley, who was born in Missouri and reared in Santa Clara, Cal. Seven children have been born of this union, four of whom are living, the order of their birth being as follows : Clyde, a printer by occupation ; Alice J., now Mrs. Sellers, of Dallas ; Van Buren, a photographer of Dallas ; and Lillie, who became the wife of Harmon Guthrie and resides near Dallas. Dr. Embree has an enviable reputation of more than local renown, and hundreds of families have come to regard him as an essential part of their household. A practitioner for many years he keeps himself well advised as to the latest discoveries in medical science, and is in accord with modern thought as exemplified in the leading medical institutions. The doctor is genial and kindly, attributes so useful to the successful practitioner. ******************* Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in August 2007 by Diana Smith. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.