Carey, Charles Henry.  "History of Oregon." Vol. 2. Chicago-Portland: Pioneer
Historical Pub. Co., 1922.  p. 751-2.

JOHN GRAHAM ODELL

John Graham Odell of The Dalles, who is district manager of the central district
of Oregon for the Tum-a-Lum Lumber Company, one of the most important and
extensive lumber interests of the northwest, was born in Dayton, Washington, in
July, 1882, his parents being A. E. and Della (Graham) Odell. His father was a
native of the state of New York and the Odell family has for many generations
been prominent in that section of the country. One of his cousins, Benjamin
Odell, was governor of New York. A. E. Odell left his native state when sixteen
years of age and removed to Wisconsin, where he joined the Union army and fought
through the Civil war. After the close of the war he made his way to the Pacific
coast and established himself as a contractor at Dayton, where he married and
reared his family, becoming a leading and influential citizen of that part of
the country. The Grahams, from whom John G. Odell is descended in the maternal
line, were an Ohio family who located in Oregon in 1852, settling in the
Willamette valley, where the birth of Della Graham occurred. She has spent her
life in the northwest, witnessing the pioneer development of the state in large
measure.

John G. Odell was educated in the public schools of Dayton and of Walla Walla,
Washington, and also attended Whitman College. Following his graduation he
turned his attention to the sawmill business in connection with his father and
for fourteen years remained in that line of work. After serving for two years in
connection with a mercantile enterprise at Dayton he accepted in 1912 the
position of manager for the Tum-a-Lum Lumber Company at Grass Valley, and soon
afterward was promoted to district manager. He proved his capability in the
latter connection and in 1919 was transferred to the central district of Oregon
as district manager, with headquarters at The Dalles. He still holds that post,
the district embracing Wasco, Sherman and Hood River counties, with six lumber
yards under his supervision. Mr. Odell's long experience has given him intimate
knowledge of the lumber trade from the point when the timber is brought to the
mill until it is placed as a finished product on the market.

In 1907 Mr. Odell was married to Miss Aral Holmes, a daughter of W. P. Holmes, a
business man of Dayton. They have three children: Edwin Holmes, John Graham and
Kathrine. Mr. Odell belongs to the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, is also
an Odd Fellow and a Knight of Pythias and in the latter organization has filled
all of the chairs. He has won a most enviable reputation both as a business man
and a citizen. His knowledge of the lumber trade is complete and as district
representative of the largest lumber concern in this section of the northwest he
occupies an important place in the business world.


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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in November 2006 by Jeffrey L. Elmer.
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.