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. JOSEPH M. POMEROY was born in Ashtabula county, Ohio, March 20, 1830. In 1850 he moved to Kendall county, Illinois, and two years later crossed the plains to Oregon. The same year he went to Sailor Diggings, near the line between California and Oregon, and mined for a time, going to Salem that winter on foot and enduring great privations. In the spring of 1853 he took up a ranch, and engaged for some time in working this, cutting steamboat wood, working in a hotel and teaming. For nearly nine years he had a wagon shop in Salem, a trade he had learned in the East. In the spring of 1863 he came to this region, taking charge of the ranch and stage station where Dayton now stands, for Henry H. Rickey. In the fall he returned to Salem for his family, but was detained by sickness till the following spring. He sold his ranch and shop and brought cattle with him to this section, enduring much hardship on the way. On the eighth of December, 1864, he purchased of Walter Sunderland the ranch on which the town of Pomeroy now stands. He engaged in ranching and raising fine stock until fall of 1877, when he laid out the town of Pomeroy, as has been noted in the history of that place. In 1878 he built the Pomeroy hotel, now the St. George, and has by the use of money and the donation of many lots for business purposes, done all in his power to aid the growth of the town, with but slight pecuniary advantage to himself. In 1857 he married Martha J. Trimble, in Marion county, Oregon, who bore him three children : Clara L., now wife of E. T. Wilson, Edward M., and Alva E. * * * * 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.