An Illustrated History of Central Oregon, Western Historical Publishing Company,
Spokane, WA. 1905, page 397-398.

ALFRED C. SANFORD of the firm of Sanford & Sill, general merchants of Shaniko,
is one of the leading business men in this part of Wasco county and has been
active for many years in building up the country. He was born in Leavenworth,
Kansas, on April 1, 1864, the son of Richard B. and Nancy B. (Corum) Sanford.
The father was born in Kentucky and his father, the grandfather of our subject,
was a native of Scotland and died of yellow fever in the Mexican war. Richard B.
Sanford followed tailoring in the east and now lives retired at Wamic, Wasco
county. The mother of our subject was born in Missouri and there they were
married. Later, the family moved to Kansas, and in 1862 the father tried to
enlist but he was not accepted. They remained in Kansas all through the border
struggles and were much harrassed by guerrilla forces. Once the father was held
prisoner by the confederates two days. The mother had two brothers in the
confederate army. Her father was a Kansas slave owner at the outbreak of the war
and had a very large farm near Leavenworth. In 1876, our subject being about
twelve years of age, the entire family came by rail to San Francisco, then by
boat to Portland and the first winter was spent near Olex on Rock creek. The
following spring they moved to Grass Valley canyon, near the present town of
Moro. At that time, the families of Price, Eaton, Harrington, Miller, Pearson,
Gordon, and Fulton were the only people living in what is now Sherman county.
The elder Sanford took a homestead and engaged in raising stock. He had some
capital and bought land and cattle and remained there eighteen months. He was
very successful in his ventures and then removed the family to Wamic, to give
his children school advantages. He purchased a quarter section there which was
the family home until 1903, but now they live on a four acre tract in Wamic,
retired. Our subject received the balance of his education in the Wamic schools,
and assisted his father until sixteen years of age, when he started out for
himself. He herded sheep two seasons, then sheared sheep and also worked at
sawmilling and rode the range. Be bought and sold horses, operated a stage line
for three years and was in very many enterprises. His stage line was from The
Dalles to Wapinitia and he took it from 1882 to 1885. Then he sold out and for
two years he followed different employments. Following that he took the position
of salesman for Fillon Brothers in The Dalles and remained with them five years
or until they were burned out. Then he continued with the house of French & Co.,
bankers, for a year in settling up the affairs of his old employers. He was
engaged in various other employments first, and then was on the road in
Washington, Oregon, and Idaho for a large eastern hardware firm. After that, he
was a year with M. Williams & Co., of The Dalles and went thence to Wasco, in
Sherman county, being there one of the incorporators of the O.T. Company. He
sold his interests there in a few months and went to Moro, during the building
of the railroad and opened up a general merchandise store. When the road came,
in 1900, to Shaniko, he opened the first store here and in May, 1903, he sold a
one-half interest to Henry B. Sill and they now do a large business. They carry
a stock of about twelve thousand dollars.      

On October 11, 1888, Mr. Sanford married Effie Batty, who was born in Douglas
county, Oregon. The wedding occurred at The Dalles. Mrs. Sanford's parents are
Thomas and Alice Batty. Mr. Sanford has four brothers deceased, three who died
in infancy, and James W. who was killed by the O.R. & N. cars at Deschutes
Station in 1886, he being then twenty-four. He has two sisters living, Minerva,
wife of James H. Gilmore, a blacksmith at Wamic; and Mary E., wife of Eugene
Pratt, also of Wamic. He also has one sister, who died in infancy. To Mr. and
Mrs. Sanford four children have been born, Gladys, Ulla, Ailene, and Fenda L.      

Mr. Sanford is a member of the A.O.U.W., of the United Artisans. He is a
Republican in politics, has been delegate to several county conventions and has
served two terms as city council-man. He takes a great interest in school
matters and was the first school director elected in Shaniko, which office he
still holds. He has done much for the upbuilding of the cause of education and
is an ardent supporter of everything that tends to forward these interests. On
November 12, 1902, Mr. Sanford was appointed postmaster at Shaniko and has
discharged the duties since with efficiency and to the satisfaction of all.      
By way of reminiscences, we wish to note that during the days when Mr. Sanford
rode the range, he was considered one of the best men in that business in the
country. He was especially successful in subduing fractious horses, and on one
occasion in company with another deputy sheriff, rode four hundred and twenty
miles in four days and three nights in pursuit of the murderer Hawkins, whom the
captured eighty miles south of Prineville. Mr. Sanford is a man well known and
highly esteemed for his worth and integrity and is considered one of the leading
citizens of this part of Wasco county.

*******************

Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in January 2005 by Jeffrey L. Elmer. 
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.