"Portrait & Biographical Record of the Willamette Valley Oregon."  Chapman 
Publishing Company, 1903. p. 984.
 
ABNER DAVIS GARDNER

     A man whose business career has contributed materially to the prestige of
Stayton, Marion county, is A. D. Gardner, the character of whose work has
extended beyond the narrow confines of that little city, reaching two-thirds of
the way to the Atlantic coast, the section of country which has found it hard to
believe all that is said of the great resources of this part of the northwest.
The flour produced by the mills of the Gardner Brothers has been awarded two
prizes for its excellence, the first being at the World's Columbian Exposition
at Chicago, in 1893, and the second at the, Trans-Mississippi Exposition at
Omaha, in 1898 ; and the awards are emphatically indorsed by thousands of
consumers throughout the west.
     The father of the subject of this sketch, A. D. Gardner, Sr., was born in
Ohio in 1818; subsequently removed to Osage county, Mo., and in that state was
united in marriage with Sarah P. Johnson, in 1842. Immediately thereafter he
removed to a location near Des Moines, Iowa, following the occupations of
farming and preaching, the latter in the local way so popular in the earlier
days. Not realizing a sufficient remuneration from his combined efforts, he
decided to emigrate to a more western state, following up his intention in the,
spring of 1852 by heading a party bound for Oregon. Mules and ox teams were
employed in the expedition, and Mr. Gardner was chosen to command the train.
After a wearisome trip of several months the caravan arrived in Oregon. Mr.
Gardner and his family spent their first winter here near Salem, where he made
as careful an investigation of the resources of various sections of the
Willamette valley as was possible under the circumstances. As the result of his
inquiries he decided to locate in Linn county, where he took up a donation claim
of three hundred and twenty acres the following spring. The house erected on the
claim, though constructed of roughly hewn logs, was regarded as a very fine one
in those days, since it possessed two rooms, where most settlers were content,
or appeared to be, with but one room. Most of his farm was bottom lands at Fox
Valley, on the Santiam river, and was provided with excellent natural advantages
for general farming and stock-raising. The remaining years of his life were
passed upon this estate, with the exception of a few years, during which he
conducted a hotel at Scio, to which town he removed for better school
advantages. He died in 1885, at the age of sixty-six years.
     Mr. Gardner was the father of eight children, named in the order of their
birth as follows : Mary L., widow of Dr. L. S. Skiff, of Salem, Ore. ; Isaac W.,
living on the homestead; Sarah, wife of James Berry, residing near Mill City,
Ore. ; Electa J., wife of J. I. Crabtree, of Stayton, Ore. ; Abner D., of this
review ; Elizabeth E., deceased; Marilla, wife of James Gardner, of Baker City,
Ore., and Etta, wife Of Charles Mills, who resides in Fox Valley.
     Abner D. Gardner was born in Fox Valley, Linn county, Ore., March 27, 1855.
He was reared on the homestead, receiving every advantage in the educational
line which the public schools of Scio afforded, in addition to private schools.
When twenty-one years of age, he purchased a drug store at Stayton, in
partnership with Dr. McCauley, and six months later bought, the interest of his
partner. It is not necessary to enlarge upon his success in this undertaking,
for in a country where opportunities are so plentiful that they tempt men to try
another than their own established business, success is reasonably sure to
follow.
     In 1891 Mr. Gardner purchased the Stayton flouring mills, which are now
operated under the firm name of Gardner Brothers. Upon his purchase of this
industry he reconstructed the mill, putting in the most improved modern
machinery, including that necessary for the roller process. The capacity of the
mill is about eighty barrels per day. The location is very advantageous, being
upon the Santiam river, which furnishes the motive power. In 1899 he disposed of
his drug store in order that he might give his undivided attention to his
milling interests, which have increased, year by year, as the territory he
supplies becomes more  thickly populated.
     In 1878, Mr. Gardner was united in marriage with Minnie Schneider, a native
of Iowa, and a daughter of Albert and Mary (Mohr) Schneider, who were born in
Switzerland and Germany, respectively. Mr. Schneider was one of the youngest
soldiers in the Mexican war. Four children have blessed the marriage of Mr. and
Mrs. Gardner: Ethel E. and Veva A., graduates of Willamette University, and
Norma and Abner Davis, Jr. Mr. Gardner has an interesting. family, and is giving
to his children every possible educational advantage, realizing that a good
mental equipment will have a greater bearing upon their future lives than a
liberal heritage of worldly goods. In 1901, Mr. Gardner embarked in the dairy
business, and has eight hundred acres devoted to this industry.
     That Mr. Gardner's good citizenship has not been unappreciated is evidenced
by the fact that in 1876 he was appointed postmaster of Stayton, and for
thirteen successive years served in this office, under both Democratic and
Republican administrations.  As a boy he received training that proved helpful
to him in this work, his father having been postmaster at Fox Valley for several
years. Though a stanch Democrat in his political convictions he has never
exhibited a narrow or offensive partisan spirit, but has shown himself to be,
first of all, a splendid type of the American citizen. He has been a member of
the town council for two terms, and has served for some time on the school
board. Fraternally he is identified with the Masons, being a member of Santiam
Lodge No. 25, A. F. & A. M., in which he has been secretary for several years,
as well, as filling other positions ; is also identified with Aumsville Lodge,
A. O. U. W. ; Degree of Honor No. 147, Stayton Camp No. 51, Woodman of the
World, and is a charter member of Stayton Circle No. 142. He is a member of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he has officiated as class leader, and is
now trustee and steward.
     Mr. Gardner is in the highest sense a public-spirited citizen. He
contributes freely of his time and his means toward the success of all movements
which have for an end the improvement of the moral, educational, social or
industrial status of the community, and is recognized as a man of probity and a
high sense of personal honor. It is to such men as he that the northwest owes
much for its advancement, and the state of Oregon for the position which it has
attained among the sisterhood of states in the American commonwealth. Those
responsible for the compilation of this volume take pleasure in honoring the
request of those who know Mr. Gardner best, that he be accorded a place of more
than passing distinction in the memoirs of the men who have taken the lead in
the march of progress in the Willamette valley.

     
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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in August 2007 by Diana Smith. Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.