"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 599.  Malheur County.

JOHN B. McLAUGHLIN

     Deceased.  It is quite fitting that a memorial be granted to the esteemed
subject of this review, in the history of the county where he labored so long
and faithfully and where he was known far and near as one of the capable,
substantial and upright men of the county, being a prominent citizen, while his
labors were crowned with success in almost every endeavor to which he put his
hand.  The birth of Mr. McLaughlin occurred in St. Genevieve county, Missouri,
on January 13, 1827, being the son of James and Mary McLaughlin.  When a child
the family removed to the vicinity of Covington, Kentucky, where he was reared
on a farm and educated in the country schools.  In 1848 he started west with ox
teams and the first winter was spent at Fort Laramie, and in the spring of 1849
he came to California, where he mined until 1861 and then came to Walla Walla
and thence to the Idaho basin.  It was in the spring of 1863 that he came to
Riverside, a point on the Snake, and there in company with Jonathan Keeney and
John DuVall put in the first ferry boat at the old emigrant crossing.  In 1866
this venture was sold and he turned his attention to farming and stock raising.
At about this time, or definitely, on November 19, 1865, Mr. McLaughlin and Miss
Bethsinah J. Froman were married.  Mrs. McLaughlin's parents, Dr. Felix K. and
Martha Froman, were natives, respectively, of Kentucky and Virginia, and lived
in Ray county, Missouri, where Mrs. McLaughlin was born.  Thence they removed to
Iowa and then crossed the plains in 1864, coming with a train of one hundred
wagons, assembling thus large on account of the hostilities of the Indians.
Much hardship was endured on the road and six months were consumed in getting to
Boise.  In the spring of 1878, Mr. McLaughlin removed to lower Willow creek, and
in 1880 they came to their present place, which is nine miles west from Vale on
the south side of the Malheur river.  They were pioneers in this region, there
being only two women west from Vale.  Mr. McLaughlin secured about the finest
place in this part of the country, and now the widow owns five hundred acres of
land, under cultivation, with a fine two-story frame residence, commodious barns
and substantial outbuildings, and is carrying on the place in a commendable
manner.  On March 26, 1901, Mr. McLaughlin was very suddenly taken by death, and
he was sincerely mourned by a large circle of friends.  The Masonic fraternity
took charge of his funeral, he having been a member of that body for forty
years.  Besides his widow Mr. McLaughlin left four children to mourn his demise,
John, George, Mabel and Grace.  The oldest child, James F., was also deceased.
     

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