"Portrait & Biographical Record of the Willamette Valley Oregon."  Chapman 
Publishing Company, 1903. p. 43.
 
JOHN E. STANSBERY

     While not one of the early pioneers of Oregon, Mr. Stansbery was one of the
many that crossed the plains with ox teams, encountering all of the
hardships and privations incident to the long, tedious trip. A native of Indiana
and a son of John Stansbery, John E. was thoroughly familiar with the life of
the pioneer. His father was born in New Jersey and settled in the Hoosier state
at a very early day. Later in life he removed to Jefferson county, Iowa, where,
he lived until death ended his career in this world. Reared on the plains of the
great middle west, John E. Stansbery had few advantages, as in those days the
services of the boy were too valuable to be wasted in school, and as soon as old
enough he was obliged to perform his part of the farm labors. When a young man
he learned the cooper's trade, which he followed for some years.  Later he
engaged in farming in the state of his nativity, and in 1853 he started for
Oregon, but for some reason, when Jefferson county, Iowa, was reached,
the little party tarried. Here he engaged in farming and stock raising until May
3, 1862. Then, in company with his wife and six children, he resumed the trip
that had been begun ten years previous. Six months were spent in covering
the weary distance and it was on October 15, 1862, that the little band reached
Portland. For the first two years they lived on a farm near Hillsboro, while the
third year was spent on what was known as the old Quimby place. The next five
years were spent on the Whittaker farm, and then a dairy farm of one hundred and
sixty acres was purchased in what is now Woodlawn. On this farm he conducted a
dairy and carried on general farming up to the time of his death in September,
1881.
     His wife, who in maiden life was Miss A. M. Hughes, was born in Charleston,
Clark county,  Ind., a daughter of William Hughes, a native of Kentucky. The
original name of the Hughes family is veiled in obscurity, having been
lost track of when the paternal great-great-grand-father was kidnapped from his
seaport town in England, and brought to America when a very small lad. In this
country he was adopted by a family by the name of Hughes, from whom he took his
name. He accompanied them on their removal from Kentucky and remained with them
after they took up their residence in Indiana. The paternal grandfather Hughes,
also William by name, was a cooper by trade, and after he engaged in farming in
Indiana he had a small shop on his farm, where he did the work of the
neighborhood.
     John E. Stansbery, the father of Mrs. Sunderland, married Miss A. M.
Hughes, who is still living and resides in Portland. She became the mother of
thirteen children, ten of whom grew to maturity, and nine of whom are now
living, Nancy Elizabeth being the oldest; Mary Margaret is now Mrs. A. J. Dufur
of Wasco county, Ore.; Susan E. is now Mrs. Windle of Portland; Rosa Bell
married W. D. Zeiler of Portland, but now in Dawson; Lucetta became the wife
of John Foster, who died January 3, 1901; Frances is now Mrs. M. A. Zeiler of
Portland; J. E. and S. E. are twins and live in Woodlawn; and William Grant is
living in Dawson. Mrs. Sunderland was reared in Iowa until her fourteenth
year, when she accompanied her parents on their removal to Oregon. She has a
very vivid remembrance of the long trip across the plains, which to her was a
long joyous holiday.
     In politics Mr. Stansbery was a firm supporter of the men and measures of
the Republican party but he never had the time nor inclination to take any
active part in the political struggles, preferring rather to devote his whole
time to his business interests. Fraternally he was identified with the Masonic
order, while religiously he was an active member of the Methodist Episcopal
Church.  
 
 
Transcriber's additional notes.
 
This same biography also appears in the following book:
"Portrait and Biographical Record of Portland and Vicinity, Oregon"
Authors: "a compilation of this work....by a number of writers"
Chapman Publishing Co; Chicago; 1903; Page 43


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