"An Illustrated history of Baker, Grant, Malheur and Harney Counties : with a
brief outline of the early history of the state of Oregon." Chicago?: Western
Historical Pub. Co., 1902.  Page 589.  Malheur County.

EDMUND A. FRASER

     The young and eminently successful gentleman whose name appears above is
one of the leading men of Malheur county, being the owner of a controlling
interest in the Malheur Mercantile Company, a large general merchandise
establishment of Ontario, which does an immense business not only from the
country adjacent to Ontario, but also from the interior of Malheur and Harney
counties.  Our subject was born in Woodstock, Canada, on September 2, 1870,
being the son of George and Sarah (Sheperd) Fraser.  He attended the common
school, and at the age of twelve was ready to enter the Upper Canada College of
Toronto, whence he graduated in the spring of 1886.  His parents came to Indiana
and he came, at the age of eighteen years, to Ontario.  April 1888, was the date
of his landing here and he soon was in the employ of Kissel, Shilling &
Danielson, of the Oregon Forwarding Company, in the capacity of bookkeeper and
clerk.  In this position, he performed faithful service until 1900, when he
purchased the controlling interest in the R. D. Geer Mercantile Company,
changing the name to the Malheur Mercantile Company, which is incorporated.  Mr.
Fraser is manager and secretary of the company and they carry a large stock of
goods in dry goods, groceries, boots and shoes, hardware, gents' furnishings,
and in fact in every line which is used in the vast territory, whence comes the
many hundreds of patrons that visit their commodious store, one of the finest in
this section of the country.  In addition to their large store building, they
have two spacious warehouses filled with goods.  The firm is a very popular one
of the country, and our subject is among the very leaders of the business world
of eastern Oregon.  The fair treatment always extended to patrons , the spirit
of accommodations, and the wise business methods used in selecting and
purchasing goods, make this firm one of great prominence and accounts for its
unbounded success and the credit for this pleasant state of affairs is largely
due to the wisdom and ability of the subject of this sketch.  Mr. Fraser is also
a director of the Owyhee ditch and one of the directors of the Ontario opera
house, having stock in both companies.
     The marriage of Mr. Fraser and Miss Ida, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. T.
Holland, was solemnized on October 4, 1899, and they have been blessed by the
advent of one son, Edmund A., Jr.  Fraternally Mr. Fraser is identified with the
I.O.O.F., being past grand of the order, Lodge No. 90, at Ontario; and is a
Master Mason and treasurer of Acacia Lodge, No. 118, A.F. & A.M.

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

Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in February 2006 by Diana Smith. Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.