Another Pioneer Passes Away - John Buchanan, a Resident of Centralia for Many Years, is Dead
John Buchanan, one of the oldest pioneer residents of Centralia, died at his residence in this city on Sunday. The cause of his death was cancer of the stomach, from which disease Mr. Buchanan had been a sufferer for the past two years. During the last five months deceased has been confined to his home, but prior to that time he was a familiar figure on the streets of this city.
John Buchanan was born in Henderson county, Illinois, on October 20, 1832. He crossed the plains in an ox team with his parents in 1853 and settled at Boisfort, this county. In 1858 he went back to Illinois by way of Panama and married, at Toulon, that state, Emeline Beers on February 5, 1859. He returned to Boisfort during the following April.
In 1860 Mr. Buchanan moved to Ford's Prairie west of this city and settled on what is now known as the F. B. M. Hall place. Here he conducted a half-way-house on the old stage road until the railroad was built. He moved to Centralia twenty-four years ago and located on what is known as the Raught property on South Tower Avenue. Later he started a grist mill with a Mr. Peel on what is now the site of the Centralia city hall.
About fifteen years ago Mr. Buchanan went into the general merchandise business on the east side of Tower Avenue. He moved this business into the Washington hotel building about two years ago.
Mr. Buchanan's first wife died on March 3, 1891, and he married on October 7, 1891, Mrs. Mary Thorp, his sister-in-law. She died in the fall of 1893. Deceased was married the third time about twelve years ago to Mrs. Elizabeth Canby. She still survives him. No children were born to any of these unions. There are, however, two adopted children who survive deceased, namely, Mrs. G. W. Null and Fred Buchanan, both of this city. They were adopted by Mr. Buchanan when they were infants. There also survive deceased three brothers, Winfield, of Aurora, Ore., and Thomas and Henry, of Tacoma; and two sisters, Mrs. Katherine Tullis, of Tacoma, and Eliza White, of Chehalis, who is now in California. Mrs. White is the mother of Mrs. Chas. W. Maynard, of Chehalis.
At one time Mr. Buchanan's father built a fort near Boisfort, but it was never used.
Source: The Centralia News-Examiner, Friday, 20 Mar 1908, page 10.
Transcribed by Diana Smith. She has no further information on this individual.