"Portrait and Biographical Record of Portland and Vicinity, Oregon." Authors: "a
compilation of this work....by a number of writers".  Chapman Publishing Co;
Chicago, 1903. p. 569.
 
WILLIAM LAUGHLIN

     One of the large land owners of Yamhill county is William Laughlin, the
possessor of nine hundred acres of land devoted principally to stock-raising
interests.  Mr. Laughlin, who feels a just pride in his Revolutionary ancestry,
and in forefathers who accomplished largely and substantially, was born in
Lincoln county, Mo., October 13, 1830.  His grandfather was James, and his
father, Samuel, the latter being especially worthy of mention as comprising one
of the largest band that crossed the plains in 1847.
     William Laughlin was educated in Missouri and Yamhill county, Ore., and
when eighteen years old left the farm upon which his father had settled and
tried his luck in the mines near Stockton, Cal.  From the fact that he spent
over two years in the mines argues that he must have been reasonably successful,
and that from May, 1849, until August, 1851, he succeeded in appropriating to
his own use a fair share of the hidden treasure of the earth.  From the mines he
went to San Francisco and thence embarked for Portland, arriving at length on
the old homestead in Yamhill county.  In 1853 he took up a donation claim of
three hundred and twenty acres east of North Yamhill, where he farmed and raised
stock for four years, and then traded for a farm of two hundred acres upon which
he lived and prospered until October 8, 1892.  He then settled on his present
farm of one hundred and ninety-four acres, which, however, he had purchased in
1886.  To this has been added by more recent purchase, so that at present Mr.
Laughlin owns about nine hundred acres, being one of the very large operators of
this county.
     April 3, 1857, Mr. Laughlin was united in marriage with Phoebe Roberts,
born in Tippecanoe county, Ind., October 8, 1839, and of this union there were
born sixteen children, twelve of whom are living:  Bedford H. is a resident of
Forest Grove; Charles lives in Alaska; George also is in Alaska; Abram is a
farmer in Yamhill county; Mrs. Mary Tate lives in Seattle, Wash.; William lives
near Yamhill; Samuel is cashier of the North Yamhill Bank; Benjamin lives in the
state of Washington; Alice is living at home; Leona lives in Washington; Mrs.
Delia Richardson lives in Goldendale, Wash., and Crystal lives with her parents.
Like all the members of his widely diffused family Mr. Laughlin is a stanch
adherent of the Republican party, and among the offices maintained by him with
credit may be mentioned that of road supervisor and school director.  He is a
liberal minded, progressive member of the community, and as an agriculturist is
both practical and successful.
 
 
Transcriber's additional notes:
 
This same biography also appears in:
"Portrait and Biographical Record of the Willamette Valley, Oregon"
A compilation of work by a number of writers
Chapman Publishing Co.; 1903, page 221

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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in January 2007 by Diana Smith.
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.