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. a14.
 
SAMUEL H. ERWIN

     is a native of Ohio, where he was born April 1, 1827. In 1834 his parents
moved from there to Louisa county, Iowa, where the subject of this sketch spent
the years of his minority. In 1852, April 22, he was married to Miss Harriet A.
Bolen, with whom he crossed the plains to Linn county, Oregon, in 1853. In 1859
he visited Washington Territory and selected the farm on which he now lives. The
next spring, with his wife and a few personal effects, he moved to this new
country, and became one of the first five residents of Middle Touchet river. A
view of his farm and home accompanies this work, which is the best means of
gaining a knowledge of its surface appearance and present improvements. It is
situated sixteen miles north of Walla Walla, on the north bank of the Touchet
river, and contains 550 acres of land, 400 of which are inclosed and 225 under
cultivation. There are about thirty acres of timber, that he has grown from seed
or plants, including six acres of black locust and three of soft maple. Some of
these locusts have grown to a diameter of two feet and fence posts of this wood,
set ten years ago, on being taken up in 1882 were found to be sound enough to
warrant re-setting. The first orchard set on the Touchet was planted by Mr.
Erwin, in 1860. Mrs. Harriet A. Erwin died Oct. 31, 1863, of consumption, while
stopping in Oregon. January, 1866, Mr. Erwin was again married, this time to
Miss Mary J. McCaw, of Linn county, Oregon. His family is not numerous, having
no children, but one sister whose home is in Iowa, and a mother, still living,
who finds a home with her son, from whose hearth-stone she looks back upon
eighty-two years of life's varied and shifting scenes. Of Mr. Erwin as a
judicious business man and a farmer, the results of his operations speak in a
flattering and unquestionable way. Of his position and the impression that his
dealings and associations with men have left upon those who have known him, the
best evidence is their expression of approval in twice electing him as their
County Commissioner, a position that he is now filling with credit to himself
and advantage to Walla Walla county.

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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.