Shaver, F. A., Arthur P. Rose, R. F. Steele, and A. E. Adams, compilers.  "An
Illustrated History of Central Oregon." ("Embracing Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam,
Wheeler, Crook, Lake, & Klamath Counties")  Spokane, WA: Western Historical
Publishing Co., 1905.  p. 905.
 
JOHN B. BLAIR

     a prominent citizen of Lakeview and formerly county assessor, of Lake
county, is a native of Lee county, Iowa, born March 23, 1844. His father, Hon.
Colbert P. Blair, was one of the earliest pioneers of southern Oregon, coming
here with an ox train, of which he was captain, in the summer of 1853. He was a
native of North Carolina, born January 1, 1805, and for the past fifteen years
has made his home in Pendleton, Oregon. Although on the eve of his one hundredth
year he is as hale and hearty as many men a quarter of a century his junior. He
is a veteran of the Black Hawk and the Rogue River Indian wars, in both of which
he saw active service as a scout and much severe fighting. After coming to
Oregon he settled in Benton county, which county he at one time represented in
the state legislature.  Our subject's' grandfather was Colbert Blair, a native
of Scotland and a soldier during the Revolutionary War. Mr. Blair's mother was
Elizabeth (Hill) Blair, also a native of South Carolina and of Scotch parentage,
her father being Henry Hill. He, too, served in the Revolutionary War. The
mother lived to the age of sixty-five years, when she died in Benton county,
Oregon.
     The brothers and sisters of John B. Blair are : Thomas J., Pendleton; James
H., and Mrs. Meeky Trapp, both of Lincoln county, Oregon. One brother, Oliver P.
Blair and four sisters, Mrs. Fanny Scovel, Mrs. Cloe Jane Skipton, Mrs. Sophia
Irwin, and Martha B. Blair, are dead.
     Mr. Blair crossed the plains with his father and family, the family at that
time consisting of the parents and eight children, and assisted his father in
opening a ranch in the wild and unsettled prairie in Benton county, Oregon.
Opportunities for attending school were at that time decidedly meager, but
notwithstanding that fact our subject managed to obtain a fair common school
education by applying himself to study at home. He was married during August of
1867 to Jennie Fuller, and in the spring of 1872 he came to the Chewaucan
valley, now Lake county, but at that time Jackson county, Oregon. The valley at
that time contained only five settlers and was not improved even by as much as a
public road. The following spring he went to Summer lake valley and took a
preemption and worked for wages in order to make improvements on his ranch.
Later he traded his claim for cattle and engaged in the stock business.
Returning to the Chewaucan valley, he took a homestead, upon which he made his
home until 1901. In 1900 he was elected to the office of county assessor and two
years later he was elected to succeed himself. He was elected on the Republican
ticket, and was the first man in the county to be elected to the office of
assessor a second time. He removed to Lakeview in 1901, where he has since made
his home. He is one of the most highly respected citizens of Lake county, where
he is universally regarded as a man of ability and of honor. As an example of
the trust reposed in him by his fellow citizens we may mention the fact that he
is at the present time executor for two estates, the testator in each instance
appointing him with the request that he perform the duties of the position
without being placed under bonds.
     Mr. Blair has been a member of Lakeview lodge, I. 0. 0. F., for twenty-five
years, that being the only secret order with which he is affiliated.
     To Mr. and Mrs. Blair, five children have been born: Wellington S., married
to Birdie McDonald and residing at Paisley, Oregon ; Dollie Viola, deceased;
Tracy C.; Richard, deceased; and Dovie Maria, the wife of James Reeder, of
Silver Lake, Oregon. Wellington and Birdie Blair have three children. Tracy C.
Blair, the second son mentioned, is married to Annie Miller and has one child.
He is a surveyor and civil engineer of prominence in Anaconda, Montana. He has
been a surveyor on the Great Northern railroad for three years, and is now in
the employ of the Anaconda Copper Company for which he engineered the flume and
great smoke-stack at Anaconda.
     It is pleasant to state that since the above was written, our subject went
to Pendleton, Oregon, and there, January I, 1905, with other members of the
family, celebrated the one hundredth anniversary of his father's birth, Hon.
Colbert P. Blair.


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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in February 2011 by Diana Smith.
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.