"An Illustrated History of Whitman County, state of Washington." San Francisco:
W. H. Lever, 1901.  p. 395.
 
EMSLEY FINCHER
 
     Prominent among their homes in the Penawawa country is the esteemed pioneer
of the county whose name appears as the caption of this article. Ever since he
left the parental roof to begin life's battle on his own account, he has given
his attention to the basic art of agriculture and related industries, and as a
natural consequence he has acquired a skill in husbandry and an intimate
knowledge of methods and details which enable him to realize the largest profits
attainable under the circumstances. As a citizen and member of society he enjoys
an enviable standing, his life during the many years of his residence in the
county having been in all respects so ordered as to win and retain the
confidence and regard of those with whom he has been in any way associated.
 
     Mr. Fincher is a native of Ohio, born February 22, 1831. While still in his
infancy he and Susanna (Sheets) Fincher, and in that state the ensuing ten years
of his life were passed. He then accompanied his parents to Wisconsin, where he
completed his education, already begun in Indiana. Upon attaining to years of
maturity he engaged in farming. He was numbered among the successful and thrifty
agriculturists of the state of Wisconsin until 1872, when he removed to Walla
Walla county, Washington. The next year he located on Union flat, this county.
Eventually, he purchased a place in the vicinity of Penawawa from the Halbrook
Brothers, deeming that a highly advantageous location for fruit and
cattle-raising. At present he is the owner of five hundred and thirty acres, ten
of which are in orchard. For fifteen years after locating in his present place
of abode he was extensively engaged in the sheep business, but he gradually
disposed of these, replacing them with larger stock. His place is embellished
with many handsome and commodious improvements, and an air of enterprise and
thrift is everywhere perceptible on the premises.
 
     The marriage of our subject was solemnized in the state of Wisconsin in
1853, in which year Mary A. Roub, a native of Pennsylvania, became his wife.
They have nine children, namely, Emorette, wife of J. Knox, of Whitman county;
Samuel in Spokane; Henry, in Montana; Owen; Annie M., wife of Charles
Chamberlin, of this county; John, in Montana; Susanna K., now Mrs. G. King, of
California; and Sarah V., wife of N. N. Cota, of Penawawa. They also have
thirty-two grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Robert L. Fincher, born
in Whitman county in 1876, now residing at home.
 
     Mr. Fincher has had many adventures with Indians in early days, the
narration of which is exceedingly interesting to those of a younger generation.
 

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Submitted to the Washington Biographies Project in July 2016 by Diana Smith.
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.