Edwards, Rev. Jonathan. "An Illustrated History of Spokane County, State of Washington." San Francisco: W. H. Lever, 1900. p. 370. WALTER H. WISCOMBE Of the Suburb Roller Mills, office 712 Railroad avenue, a pioneer of 1879, is a native of England, born September 24, 1843. The family came to the United States in 1848 and located in Osage county, Kansas, where he grew up on a farm. He was married there on March 23, 1870, to Jennie, daughter of John and Lucinda Jolly, born in southern Illinois June 4, 1853. They have two living children: Frederick, born September 1, 1879, now in the employ of the mill company, and Clarence, born July 19, 1884. In 1873 the removed to Healdsburg, California, where he was engaged in the grocery business. They came to Spokane in 1879 and he worked for a time at the carpenter's trade, which he had learned of his father. In the spring of 1883 he and W. S. Burns built a steam planing mill, having the first steam whistle ever blown in Spokane. After operating the mill for two years he was made street commissioner and built the fine road to Spangle, also one to Rockford and several others. He then superintended the construction of the Spokane Street Railway, the first in the city, and managed the running of this line until 1890. In 1891 he was appointed city street commissioner under the new city charter. He was elected city treasurer on the Republican ticket in 1892 and had to give bond for seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars. He was re-elected in 1894. In 1895 he was appointed city commissioner and served for two years. In September, 1889, he and W. E. Pierce bought the Suburb Roller Mills at Marshall, and are now operating this plant. The mill has a one-hundred-barrel capacity, is fitted up with all the most modern improvements, is run by water power and is kept going at full capacity all the time. Mr. Wiscombe is an old soldier, having enlisted in 1863 in Company M, Eleventh Kansas Cavalry, and served in the Sixteenth Army Corps in the Army of the West. He was in several engagements, among them being the ones against Quantrell, Price and Thornton. He was wounded in one engagement in Missouri, being shot in the right hand and losing two fingers. As a result he was discharged in March, 1865. He is a respected member of the F. & A. M. and the Knights Templar, also the A.O.U.W. He has been a stockholder in the Exchange National Bank since its organization. Transcriber's additional notes: CENSUS 1860, August 15; Franklin Co, KS; Centroplis Twp, p 251 W. Whiscom, 56, m, ENG, Farmer W. H. Whiscom, 18, m, ENG, farmer W. W. Whiscom, 16, m, ENG, farmer 1870, June 20; Franklin Co, KS; Centropolis Twp, p 49 W. H. Wiscombe, 55, ENG, farmer, cannot read or write, parents foreign born W. H. Wiscombe, 23, ENG, shoemaker, parents foreign born Jane G, 18, ENG, keeping house, parents foreign born 1880, June 24; Spokane Co, WA; Spokane Falls, p 68, Main st. W. H. Wiscombe, 36, ENG, ENG, ENG, married, carpenter, unemployed 3 mo. during census yr. Jennie, wife, 27, IL, TN, AL, milliner Freddie, son, 9/12 Sept, WA Terr, ENG, IL Lucinda Jolly, mo. in law, 52, Wd, AL, KY, VA, farmer 1900, June 14; Spokane Co, WA; Carlisle Pct, p 183 Walter A. Wiscombe, 55, Sept 1844, ENG, ENG, ENG, mar 27 yrs, to US 1856, retired, owns home free Jennie, wife, 44, June 1855, IL, TN, AL, mar 27 yrs, 4 children-2 living Fred W., son, 20, Sept 1879, single, WA, ENG, IL, telephone solicitor Clarence W, son, 15, July 1884, single, WA, ENG, IL, att. school Ellen Powell, niece, 22, May 1878, single, MO, IL, IL, milliner Theresa Horan, servant, 23, March 1876, single, IL, IL, IL Frank P. Mymouthe, boarder, 63, May 1837, Wd, ME, ME, ME, city commissioner 1910, April 22; Spokane Co, WA; Spokane Wd 3, p 321,1116 West 14th Walter H. Wiscomb, 66, 1st mar, mar 39 yrs, ENG, ENG, ENG, hay & grain merchant, owns home free Jennie E, wife, 54, 1st mar, mar 39 yrs, IL, TN, AL, 4 children-2 living Walter C, son, 25, single, WA, ENG, IL, bookkeeper, collections office 1920, January 22; Los Angeles Co, CA; San Antonio Pct #1, p 263 Walter H. Wistombe, 76, ENG, ENG, ENG, retired, to US 1856 Jennie, wife, 66, IL, TN, AL MILITARY http://skyways.lib.ks.us/skysearch.html 11th Regiment Kansas Volunteer Cavalry, Company E. Private Wiscombe Walter H. Marion Feb. 26, '64 Feb. 26, '64 Transferred to Company M, April 18, 1864. 11th Regiment Kansas Volunteer Cavalry, Company M Private Wiscombe Walter H. Marion Feb. 26, '64 Feb. 26, '64 Disc. for dis. Feb. 27, '65, Ft. Leavenworth, Kan., on account of wounds received in action, October 21, 1864, Little Blue, Missouri. Washington State Archives http://www.digitalarchives.wa. gov/default.aspx DEATH RECORDS at Vitalsearch http://www.vitalsearch-worldwide.com/ Walter H. Wiscombe, spouse's initial J, died January 21, 1926, at age 84, in Los Angeles City, Ca. Jennie Wiscombe, born June 7, 1863, died Sept. 23, 1952, in Los Angeles Co, CA; born IL, father's name Jolley, mother's name McKay OBITUARY Walter Henry Wiscombe, of Long Beach, CA. http://www.franklincountykansas.net/ * * * * Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in April 2006 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.