Prosser, Col. William Farrand.  "A History of the Puget Sound Country, Its
Resources, Its Commerce and its People."  Vol. 2.  New York and Chicago: Lewis
Publishing Co., 1903.  pp. 109-110.

JOHN WEST

	The native sons of Lewis county who are approaching the period of middle age
are not very numerous, for the county is still young, and the greater part of
its population is made up of men who have come from the east, seeking a share in
the boundless opportunities here afforded to the enterprising and energetic.
But we have an exception in the case of John West, who has grown up in Lewis
county and has become one of the successful business men of the city of
Chehalis.  
	His father was William West and was a native born Englishman, his birth
taking place in 1837.  After he had reached manhood he came to the United
States, and in 1854 settled in Illinois.  He was married there, and soon
afterward he and his wife and their first born set out for the west with a mule
team. They took up their residence in Lewis county, and he has been a prominent
farmer all his life.  He is a member of the Episcopal church, and as the
candidate of the Democratic party has been elected and has served two terms as
treasurer of the county, and also as auditor.  His first wife was Miss Hannah
Dobson, a native of the state of Illinois.  The girl, Dora, who came with them
across the plains, is now deceased, and the five children  born to them while in
Washington are as follows: Robert, who died in his twenty first year; John was
next in order of birth; Henry is a resident of Chehalis and the owner of the
electric light plant; Thomas died in his sixteenth year; and William resides in
Chehalis.  The mother of these children died in 1875, and Mr. West chose for his
second wife Hattie Scammond, a native of Maine, and the one daughter born to her
has been named Hattie.  
	John Wesl was born on his father's farm in this county, on June 24, 1868.
The educational facilities of the country at that time were nothing remarkable,
and consequently John got more training from the school of experience than from
the house of learning, which he attended at irregular intervals.  But in spite
of these hindrances he has become a well informed man and has made a creditable
record in business circles.  The beeinnings of his mercantile career were rather
humble, for his first venture on his own account was a small candy store.  But
he was progressive, his enterprise flourished, and in 1894 he opened his large
flour, feed, produce and grocery establishment.  He has a double store, one
twenty-four by one hundred feet and the other twenty-four by fifty, and he has
an extensive trade and enjoys the confidence of the peopk  
	Mr. West is a Democrat and at the present time is serving his third term in
the city council.  He was married on September 17. 1893, to Miss Emma Burkshire,
a native of [llinois, and her father. Israel Burkshire, is of English stock.
Mr. and Mrs. West reside in a nice home in Chehalis and are much esteemed in
social circles. 

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Submitted to the Washington Biographies Project in June 2009 by Jenny Tenlen.
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.