Hines, H. K. "An Illustrated History of the State of Oregon." Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co. 1893. p. 1113. WILLIAM KANE a highly respected citizen of Forest Grove, came to California in 1850, arriving in Oregon the following year. He is a native of the Empire State, having been born in New York on March 13,1828. His father, John Kane, was a native of Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, and married Miss Elizabeth Sailor, a native of New York. They had three children, our subject being the youngest. When but two years of age, the subject of our sketch had the misfortune to lose his mother, in 1830, and he was reared in Niagara county, New York, later removing to Illinois, where he remained for six years. He attended the public schools some during his youth, but experience was his principal instructor. From Illinois he removed to Muscatine, Iowa, and here learned the carpenters' trade. He remained there for a couple of years, then removing to Chicago, where he worked until 1849, at which time lie returned to Iowa, and the following year, January 15, 1850, started for California. He went via Mexico, and on arriving at the mines on Yuba river, he worked there until the 1st of August, but, this not proving as remunerative as he desired, he embarked on the steamer, California, for Oregon. Arriving at his destination, he worked for a couple of years in St. Helen, being employed at his trade and in operating a sawmill. In 1852 he removed to Washington county, where he bought 150 acres of uncultivated land on Cornelius prairie, and built the customary cabin of the pioneer, and resided on the place for fifteen years, improving it with good, substantial buildings, which replaced his unpretentious cabin, and cultivated the land, thus rendering it a very valuable farm, which he still owns. August 19, 1873, he came to Forest Grove, where he purchased block 14, on which he has built several good residences, including a handsome home for himself, where he now resides. Mr. Kane has superintended the construction of some of the best buildings in the State, among which may be mentioned the first courthouse in Washington county, built in 1852; besides many of the best residences of the town and surrounding country, which are evidences of his honest workmanship. He has also dealt in real estate considerably, on his own account, in which he has been very successful, and has accumulated by various honorable means a competency for his later years. He holds stock in some of the best-paying enterprises of the city, viz.: the Canning Company and the Electric Light Company. On September 25, 1756, he married Miss Sidna C. Cornelius, a native of Missouri, who accompanied her parents to Oregon in 1845. Her parents, on coming to this State, located on land in Washington county, where her father died in 1866, her mother surviving until 1881. Mr. and Mrs. Kane have had six children: Visa M., wife of C. R. Coary, residing in Tacoma, Washington; Bessie A., wife of John Kibbie, residing at Mount Tabor; their son, Julian M., died in the twenty-third year of his age, an intelligent and most promising young man, deeply lamented by all who knew him; Frank T., is a clerk in the Forest Grove Bank; Fred B. is attending the Pacific University; while Emma J. died, aged four and a half years. At the time of the outbreak of the Yakima Indian war in 1855, Mr. Kane heroically volunteered his services, furnished his own horse and equipments, and became a member of Company D, Washington County Volunteers. He served in the first expedition in Yakima county, and was later employed on the Government posts, serving for a year in all. When a young man he cast his first presidential vote for Stephen A. Douglas. Later he became a Republican, and at the time of the war was a strong Union man. Mrs. Kane is a member of the Congregational Church, being actively engaged in promoting its interests. As citizens and pioneers lie and his wife are looked up to and respected, because of their intrinsic worth and many deserving qualities of heart and mind. Transcriber's additional notes: Oregon Death Index http://www.heritagetrailpress.com/DEATH_INDEX/ Kane, Sidna C. October 18, 1910 Washington Co. cert. # 3340 Kane, William January 10, 1915 Washington Co. cert. # 441 CENSUS: 1860, June 19; Washington Co, OR; Forest Grove P.O., p 623 William Kane, 31, NY, carpenter, $3000 real estate Sidney, 19, f, MO Mary, 2, OR John, 1, OR Milton (Cline?), 13, unknown 1870; Washington Co, OR; Hillsboro Pct., Forest Grove P.O.; p 473 William Kane, 42, NY, farmer, $3000 real estate, $1950 pers. prop. Sidna, 30, MO, keeping house Mary L, 13, OR, att. school John W, 11, OR, att. school Ally E, 9, OR. Emma, 3, OR. 1880, June 14; Washington Co, OR; Forest Grove, p 342 Wm. Kane, 52, NY, NY, NY, house carpenter Sidna, wife, 39, MO, KY, KY, keeping house Mary L, dau, 22, OR, NY, MO, teacher in public school John M, son, 21, OR, NY, MO, farmer Francis C, son, 9, OR, NY, MO, att. school Fred B, son, 4, OR, NY, MO 1900, June 4; Washington Co, OR; South Forest Grove Pct, p 260, Block 14 William Kane, 73, April 1827, IL, PA, PA, mar 44 yrs, architect Sidna C., wife, 59, Jan 1841, MO, KY, KY, mar 44 yrs, 6 children-3 living Frank T, son, 28, Aug 1871, OR, IL, MO, single, bank cashier 1910, April 28; Washington Co, OR; South Forest Grove Pct, p 208; 25 Fifth William Kane, 82, NY, PA, PA, mar 54 yrs, own income Sidna C, wife, 69, MO, KY, KY, mar 54 yrs, 6 children-2 living ******************* Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in April 2009 by Diana Smith. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.