Gaston, Joseph.  "The Centennial History of Oregon, 1811-1912."  Vol. 4. 
Chicago, Clarke Publishing Co., 1912. p. 1042
 
JOHN DAVID FARRA

     The life history of John David Farra is a proof of the fact that intense
industry makes most of our successful men. He may justly be called a self-made
man for he came to Lake county empty-handed and whatever he now possesses has
come to him as the reward of earnest, persistent labor. He has ever manifested
the spirit of enterprise which has led to the rapid development of the great
section west of the Mississippi. He was born in Jackson county, Kansas,
September 6, 1861, a son of David R. and Mary Rice (Agie) Farra, natives of
Kentucky and South Carolina respectively. Following their marriage they became
residents of Kansas and in 1862 removed to Missouri whence in 1870 they came to
Jackson county, Oregon, where they continued to make their home until called
from this life. The mother passed away in 1871 and the father in 1874, when
about fifty years of age. He also followed farming and improved a homestead
which he took up in Jackson county about two miles south of Eagle Point. By his
first marriage he had a son, Thomas Jefferson, who was drowned in British
Columbia a few years ago. By his marriage to Mary Rice Agie there were born six
children: John David; Mary, the widow of C. E. White, of Jackson county, Oregon;
Edward Lee, of Central Point, Oregon; Lucy Jane, the wife of James Singeltery,
of Portland; Walter Hedrick, of Josephine county; and Samuel Jefferson, of
Chewaucan valley.
     John David Farra accompanied his parents on their various removals, being
about nine years of age when the family arrived in Jackson county, Oregon, where
he remained until the spring of 1880. Since that time or for a period of
thirty-two years he has resided continuously in Lake county and during the
greater part of the time has been engaged in the stock business, handling both
cattle and horses. For twelve years he conducted a livery business in Paisley
but has now leased his barn. He was at one time the owner of three Hundred and
twenty acres of land in Little Chewaucan valley which he sold three years ago.
He always resided upon a ranch until he established his home in the town of
Paisley in 1900. When he first came to this county in 1880 he worked for wages
on a stock ranch in the Silver Lake country for about two years. He next went to
the Goose Lake valley and was foreman of the XL ranch for more than five years,
during which time about ten thousand head of cattle were run upon that place. He
then removed to Chewaucan valley about 1887 and engaged in the stock business on
his own account, devoting ten years to that undertaking, after which, in 1897,
he established a livery business in Paisley. At one time he was the owner of two
ranches in this district comprising five hundred and fifty acres. He was a poor
boy when he came to Lake county but he scorned not honest labor and his
unfaltering industry, determination and faithfulness won him advancement until
he was able to engage in business on his own account. His purpose and honorable
dealing thus gained him further success as the years passed and he is now one of
the substantial citizens of the valley.
     On the 9th of June, 1902, Mr. Farra was married to Miss Frances Bell
Taylor, who was born in Umatilla county, Oregon, in 1882, a daughter of Preston
Alexander and Clara Victoria (Wilson) Taylor, who are natives of Oregon and
Kansas respectively and are now residing in Colusa, California. Mr. and Mrs.
Farra had four children: Virga Loretta, Earl Merritt and Opal Esther, all living
and Fred Alexander, who was drowned on June 19, 1908, at the age of two years,
six months and twenty-three days. In politics Mr. Farra is a democrat and has
filled the office of justice of the peace and constable, but office holding has
had little attraction for him, for his business affairs have made constant
demand upon his time and energies and he has ever realized that it is close
application that counts and intense industry has made him one of the successful
men of the Chewaucan valley.

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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in August 2007 by Diana Smith.  Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.