"An Illustrated History of Whitman County, state of Washington." San Francisco:
W. H. Lever, 1901.  p. 247.

W. J. HAMILTON

     This honored pioneer of Whitman county and respected citizen of Colfax has
the proud distinction of being a native of the Occident, his eyes having first
opened to the light of day in Salem, Oregon. His parents had crossed the plains
to that city as early as 1847, three years before his birth, so that Mr.
Hamilton is both a pioneer and the son of pioneers. His father, William, was
waylaid and foully murdered, and the assassin who slew him gained the unenviable
distinction of being the first man legally hanged in the territory of Oregon,
the execution taking place in Salem in 1851.
     Mr. Hamilton continued a resident of Salem until about twenty-two years of
age, receiving such educational advantages as the public schools of that early
period afforded, and afterward following the life of a farmer there. In 1872,
however, he came to Whitman county, and, settling on Union flat, engaged in the
business of rearing stock. He acquired his land by pre-emption, but had a
contest with the railroad company, which prevented his getting a clear title for
ten years, the difficulty arising out of the lieu-land law, passed by Congress.
     Mr. Hamilton's courage and fortitude were, however, too much for all
discouragements, and he prospered in spite of the uncertainty and expense
incident to stubbornly-contested litigation. His realty holdings have increased
until he is now the owner of a fine farm of twelve hundred acres.
     But it is as a successful pioneer business man that our subject is best
known. In 1877 he established the "Pioneer" drug store, which still exists under
its original appellation and has continued to do uninterruptedly ever since its
inception. Mr. Hamilton has, therefore, earned the distinction of having been in
business continuously for a longer period of time than any other man in Colfax.
He has a fully equipped and tastefully furnished store, well supplied with every
kind and variety of stock which long experience have proven it necessary to
carry, and his establishment deservedly receives a liberal patronage.
     Being so old a resident of the town and having ever manifested a
broad-minded public interest, he has naturally been frequently summoned to
accept municipal office, and he has served as mayor of the city and in the city
council several times, always discharging the duties of every trust with an eye
single to the common good. For several years, also, he was a director of the
public school. He has, more-over, been prominent in several enterprises of a
semi-public nature, for example the electric-light company, of which he was
president until the plant was sold.
     Fraternally Mr. Hamilton is identified with the A. 0. U. W., the Artisans,
the W. of W., the Workmen, the K.O. T. M. and the Highlanders.
     Our subject was married in Whitman county in 1872 to Miss Lula T. Holt. The
couple gained the distinction of being the first whose union was solemnized in
the new county, and it is worthy of note that the ceremony was performed by the
only man in the county who was at that time authorized so to do. They have three
children, namely: Oritis, one of the first white children born in the Palouse
country, now a resident of Colfax; Nonna, wife of Dr. Stuht; and Boyd, who
recently wedded a daughter of J. J. Browne, one of the leading citizens of
Spokane. Mrs. Hamilton died in January, 1882, and in 1884 Mr. Hamilton was again
married, the lady being Susan J. Tabor, of Colfax. By this latter marriage he
has two children, Lena and Rita.
 

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Submitted to the Washington Biographies Project in July 2011 by Diana Smith.
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.