Gilbert, Frank T. "Historic Sketches of Walla Walla, Whitman, Columbia and Garfield Counties, Washington Territory; and Umatilla County, Oregon." Portland, OR: Print & Lithographing House of A. G. Walling, 1882. p. a30. E. L. POWELL the proprietor of the Pioneer Supply Depot of Waitsburg, and the leading merchant of that thriving town, was born in Portsmouth, Ohio, August 12, 1851. He came across the plains to Oregon in 1862. He was educated at Jefferson Institute, chiefly by his own exertions, and afterwards taught school for a season in Benton county, in that State. He then joined a surveying party on the O. C. R. R. and the O. & C. R. R., during the season of 1870. In the spring of 1871 he came to this section, and taught school near Walla Walla, coming to Waitsburg the same fall. After clerking three years he formed a copartnership with W. P. Bruce, under the firm name of Bruce & Powell. July 15, 1875, Bruce retired, and Preston Bros. entered, the firm being Preston, Powell & Co. They were proprietors of the Washington Mills, and of an extensive merchandise business. The firm dissolved by mutual consent, July 15, 1881, Preston Bros. taking the mill and Mr. Powell the store. He has just completed a fine brick store building 40 x 100 feet, with a seven foot basement, costing $9,000. In this he has now displayed one of the finest stock of goods in this region, Mr. Powell is pre-eminently a self-made man. He is still young, and yet by his unaided exertions has established himself in a splendid business, amounting annually to $125,000. He was married September 5, 1874, to Dora E. Bruce, daughter of W. P. Bruce, of Waitsburg, and has two sons and one daughter. A view of his new store is given elsewhere. * * * * Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in February 2007 by Diana Smith. Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies Project. Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the individual featured in the biographies.