Hines, H. K. "An Illustrated History of the State of Oregon." Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co. 1893. p. 279. E. S. McCOMAS Is one of the pioneers of eastern Oregon who came to Baker county in 1862. He was born in Adams county, Ohio, January 23, 1839, and his father, John McComas, was a native of Kentucky, who came to Ohio when a young man, where he married Miss Jennetta Carr, a native of Ohio. In 1844 Mr. McComas moved to Montgomery county, Indiana, where our subject received a common-school education, but he has since received the greater part of his education in the school of experience. Our subject was the oldest child in a family of eight children born to his parents. In 1862 he came across the plains and settled at Auburn, where he engaged in mining and prospecting. While he was out on a prospecting tour with several others they were surprised by a band of Indians. Mr. McComas received a bullet-shot in the leg and was wounded by a poisoned arrow in the back of his right hand. The party made its escape with six wounded, one of whom afterward died, but they had a hard fight and several of the Indians were killed. Our subject has been in several Indian wars. He was out with Citizen Volunteers against the Nez Perces under Chief Joseph in the Wallowa valley and also took an active part in the Bannock campaign, in 1878. Our subject came to La Grande, Union county, in 1864, and clerked in a store for two years. In 1866 he was elected County Clerk and was re-elected in 1868. For eight years he published a paper called the Mountain sentinel which he started in 1868, and then sold out and received the appointment from the Legislature as Register of the State Land office. He served for four years and then went into the real-estate business, which he followed for two years. At this time he made the grand discovery of reducing the water of Medical lake, by which he could utilize the salt, and he traveled over the Eastern States advertising it, and is still supplying the drug stores throughout the United States. In 1890 our subject returned to La Grande and started the Grande Ronde Chronicle in connection with W. A. Parker and he is still engaged upon that paper in connection with that profitable business, real-estate dealing, and has published 40,000 copies of a book, of 100 pages, describing the valley in which he now lives. He has extensive mining interests, and, from his knowledge, acquired by years of experience in this country, is well qualified to give home-seekers and investors valuable information. Mr. McComas was married in 1867, to Miss Harriet M. Welsh, a native of Iowa, and they have one daughter, Janetta E. McComas, born in 1870. Mrs. McComas came to Oregon in 1867 by way of the Isthmus of Panama. He is a member of the K. of P., also of the order of Red Men and of the Odd Fellows. Politically Mr. McComas is a Democrat. ******************* 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.