Gaston, Joseph.  "The Centennial History of Oregon, 1811-1912."  Vol. 4. 
Chicago, Clarke Publishing Co., 1912. p. 818.

EDWARD H. LENOX

     Is a native of Oregon and a grandson of one of the very earliest pioneers
in the state.  He has engaged in farming in Douglas county and has also been
bookkeeper in a business house in Roseburg.  He has now abandoned both
occupations and is serving his second term as county clerk, gaining the respect
and esteem of his constituents and fellow citizens by reason of the able and
effective way in which he discharges the duties of his office.  He was born on
the 15th of August, 1866, fifteen miles west of Portland on the old Lenox
homestead, and is a son of David and Sarah I. (Campbell) Lenox.  The family was
founded in Oregon by the grandfather of our subject, who crossed the plains with
ox teams in 1843 and settled first near Hillsboro, where he purchased the claim,
which is now known as the Joe Mecke farm, upon which he lived for a short time.
He later took up a donation claim of three hundred and twenty acres and carried
on general agricultural pursuits upon this property until a short time before
his death.  He passed away in eastern Oregon at an advanced age.  He was among
the early settlers in this state, coming her from Missouri.  He was a native of
New York and spent some time in that state, in Illinois, and in Missouri, before
finally settling in Oregon.  The father of our subject was eight years of age
when he crossed the plains with his parents.  He grew up on the homestead and
cultivated the soil until 1878, when he removed with his family to Douglas
county, Oregon, residing there until his death which occurred on the 9th of
June, 1897.  He was a native of Illinois, having been born in that state, March
24, 1835.  His wife also came from Illinois and her parents lived in that state
in early pioneer times.  She came to Oregon with the family of James Smith,
making the journey by way of the Isthmus of Panama.  Upon their arrival James
Smith purchased a large portion of the David Lenox donation claim and farmed
upon this property for a number of years.  To Mr. and Mrs. David Lenox were born
five children:  Edward H., of this review; David H., who is well known in
business circles of Roseburg; George F., of San Francisco; Charlotte I., who
married Oscar Agee of Meadows, Idaho; and Clara Edith, the wife of P. C. Ream,
who is in business in Ontario, Oregon.  The mother of our subject passed away in
January, 1879, at Looking Glass, Oregon, and some time afterward David Lenox was
again married.  His second wife was Mrs. Margaret A. Bolsinger of Looking Glass,
Oregon, and to this union was born one daughter, Leona C., who married J. J.
McDonald of Marshfield.  Mr. Lenox's second wife died in May, 1890, at Roseburg,
Oregon.
     Edward H. Lenox was educated in the public schools of Washington and
Douglas counties and graduated from the Portland Business College in 1885.  He
worked upon his father's farm until about 1891 when he went to Portland in order
to accept a position as bookkeeper in a mercantile establishment of that city.
After a short time he resumed farming upon a tract of land nine miles south of
Roseburg and was successful as a general agriculturist until the fall of 1900
when he moved into the city and became a bookkeeper for the Roseburg Lumber
Company, following this line of occupation until July, 1904, when he was
appointed deputy county clerk and served two terms with ability and efficiency.
In July, 1908, he was elected county clerk and was re-elected in 1910 and is now
discharging the duties of his office in an able and straight-forward and
systematic way.
     On July 2, 1891, Mr. Lenox was united in marriage in Roseburg to Miss Emma
J. Benedick, a daughter of Philip and Elizabeth (Buchanan) Benedick, natives of
Ohio, who came to Oregon about the year 1877.  To Mr. and Mrs. Lenox have been
born five children:  Eva May, whose birth occurred in Portland, in September,
1892; Elbert L., born in Brockway, in July, 1895; Osmond, born in Brockway, in
July, 1898; Ray, whose birth occurred in the same city, in September, 1901; and
Lucile M., who was born in Roseburg on the 6th of August, 1905.  Mrs. Lenox
gives her allegiance to the Presbyterian church and is well known in religious
circles of this city.
     In politics the subject of this review is a consistent democrat and is
actively and intelligently interested in the progress and welfare of the state,
where he was born and reared, discharging the duties of the office which he
holds, in a manner which reflects credit upon his ability, efficiency and public
spirit.


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

Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in October 2005 by Diana Smith. Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.