An Illustrated History of Central Oregon, Western Historical Publishing Company, Spokane, WA. 1905, page 232-233. JOSEPH C. WINGFIELD, a prosperous fruit grower of Wasco county, resides in Thompson's Addition in The Dalles. He was born in Clackamas county, on January 16, 1848, the son of Joseph T. and Hannah (Knapp) Wingfield, natives of Virginia. The father's ancestors were among the very earliest settlers in the New World, some of the family being on the Mayflower and others having settled in Virginia before that. They were prominent in all the colonial struggles and were a strong family. The mother's people were also a very prominent colonial family and many of them engaged in a professional life. The parents crossed the plains with ox teams in 1846 and settled on a donation claim in the Willamette valley. Our subject had scanty opportunity to gain an education from the frontier schools but made the best of his chances and when fifteen, started out for himself. He worked out in the vicinity two years, then came to eastern Oregon and rode the bell horse on a pack train from Umatilla to Bear gulch, Montana. After this, he was engaged in sawmilling in Grant county, then did mining. Later, he was in the Willamette valley for six years then returned to Grant county and did stock raising until 1883, when he moved to Eightmile creek in Wasco county. He bought one hundred and ninety acres which was the family home for seventeen years or until 1900, when he removed to the place where he now lives. It is a fine piece of land and consists of nine acres, well improved, with fruit trees, buildings and so forth and is a valuable place. Mr. Wingfield recently sold his farm on Eightmile creek and purchased another which he rents to his son, Orville. In Clackamas county, Mr. Wingfield married Miss Alice G., the daughter of Maxwell and Eliza (Smith) Ramsby, natives of Ohio. The father crossed the plains in 1846 with a pack train and outfit and now lives with our subject, aged eighty-three. His father was born in Germany and his mother in Pennsylvania of Welsh parentage. His wife's parents were born in Wales and his marriage occurred in Marion county, Oregon. He was for many years a farmer in the Willamette valley and was second lieutenant in the Cayuse war under Colonel Cornelius Gilliam. After Colonel Gilliam's death, he was under the command of Colonel Waters. In 1862, he was a member of the Oregon legislature, has been justice of the peace for twelve years, was once assessor in Clackamas county and frequently was delegate to the state and county conventions. Once, he was a delegate to the national convention, Grant's first nomination, and assisted to organize the Republican party in Oregon. Mr. Ramsby had very limited opportunity for an education but hired a teacher for his children and studied with them, thus showing the energy and spirit of the man. He has been a very careful and close reader and the result is, that he is one of the best informed men in this section. Our subject has one brother, George W., and two sisters, Mrs. Lucy Worsham, and Mrs. Hannah Graham. Mrs. Wingfield has one brother, Horace S., and one sister, Mrs. Alwilda Dickey. To our subject and his wife, the following named children have been born: Orville, on Eightmile creek: Elton E., in Baker county, Oregon; Cora A., a school teacher in Baker City; and Iva L., with her brother, Orville. Mr. Wingfield is a member of the W.W. It is of interest to note that the first Cayuse war pension was issued to Mr. Wingfield's father-in-law. ******************* Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in January 2005 by Jeffrey L. Elmer. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.