Hines, H. K. "An Illustrated History of the State of Oregon." Chicago: Lewis
Pub. Co. 1893.  p. 259.

JOHN KIRTS

     One of the reliable citizens of Washington county, Oregon, and an Oregon
pioneer of 1852, was born in Montgomery county, Indiana, May 15, 1830.  The
ancestors of the family were early settlers of the State of Pennsylvania, where
his father, Zachariah Kirts, was born.  He married Miss Elizabeth Granrey and
they had a family of fourteen children, seven sons and seven daughters, but Mr.
Kirts, our subject, is the only survivor of this numerous family of sons.
     In 1837 the father of Mr. Kirts removed to Iowa and was a pioneer of that
State and in 1852 he emigrated to Oregon, bringing with him his wife and eight
children.  They started May 7, and were seven months on the journey.  At that
time Mr. Kirts was in his twenty-first year and he drove one of the teams for
his father.  The team was an ox team and our subject had the pleasure of walking
most of the way.  His brother Levi, a young man of twenty-three, died on the
plains of mountain fever and was buried at the foot of the Blue mountains at
Lee's encampment.  Two of the sons-in-law stopped at Oregon City, but the family
wintered in Portland, and Mr. Kirts and his brother Christopher came to
Washington county and stopped where Greenville is now, at the house of Mr. Arch.
Wilkes.  Here they worked for Mr. David Monroe at rail splitting and pasturing
cattle, and thus they put in the winter.
     The father of Mr. Kirts settled on the land in Washington county, where our
subject now resides, and on this property the father and mother resided until
the time of their death.  They were Methodist people and led honest, honorable
and good lives, and the father died April 6, 1861, and the mother's death
occurred August 15, 1876.  Mr. Kirts remained with his parents until the time of
their death.  When the father bought the land he went into debt $750, but the
son worked and improved the farm and paid the debt, paying twenty per cent
interest.  When the family reaches here there was but seventy-five cents in the
family purse.  Wheat was worth $3 per bushel and Irish potatoes were the same.
Those were days of scarcity, of which they had never dreamed in their Eastern
home, but almost all their neighbors were as badly off.
     Our subject was married November 7, 1859, to Miss Eunice Marsh, who was
born in Michigan, March 21, 1838, and was the daughter of Joshua W. Marsh, who
had come to Oregon in 1858.  The children of Mr. and Mrs. Kirts numbered twelve,
as follows:  Charles W., died in his second year, September 6, 1861; William A.
is now a merchant and resides at Cedar Mill; Elliot W. was born July 12, 1863,
and died December 6, 1863; Vidilla A., married Elbridge H. Dickins and resides
at Gale's Creek; Wilbur S., is a farmer and resides on Gale's Creek; Lev S. was
born February 29, 1868, and died July 2, 1869; Edith V. is now a young lady and
resides with her parents; Ezra A. is at home also; Elva E. is the wife of F. B.
Pomeroy and resides one mile north of Linnton, engaged in the dairy business;
and Iodel L., Hulda E., and Sarah G. are at home.
     Mr. Kirts has been engaged in general farming and has prospered.  He has
improved the old homestead and added 100 acres more land.  Greenville stands
upon land which he owned.  Both Mr. Kirts and his wife are members of the
Congregational Church and he is one of the Deacons.  Since the founding of the
party our subject has been a Republican, and for thirty years he has been a
member of the Masonic fraternity.  It should not be forgotten that Mr. Kirts is
also an Indian war veteran as he volunteered in the war of 1855 - '56.  He has
always been a hard working and industrious man, upright in his character and
commanding the esteem of all who knew him. 


Transcriber's additional census notes:
 
1900 - June 3; Yamhill Co, OR; La Fayette Town, page 84
John Kirts, 70, m, w, May 1830, IN, PA, PA, mar 40yrs, landlord
Eunice, wife, 61, f, w, March 1838, MI, PA, VT, mar 40 yrs, 12 children-9 living
Sarah, dau, 18, f, w, Feb 1882, OR, IN, MI, att. school
 
1910 - April 29; Yamhill Co, OR; La Fayette Pct, page 6
E--- Kirts, head, 72, f, w, MI, PA, VT, Wd, no occ, 12 children-9 living
S. Grace, dau, 28, f, w, OR, IN, MI, single, no occ.
 
1920 - January 2; Yamhill Co, OR; La Fayette Pct, page 178
Eunice M. Kirts, head, 81, f, w, MI, PA, VT, Wd.
 
1930 - April 18; Yamhill Co, OR; Pct 20, page 132, Three Mile Lane
Ira B. Shirley, head, 62, m, w, OR, KY, KY, grain farmer, mar. @ 25
Edith V., wife, 60, f, w, OR, IN, IN, mar @ 23
Eunice M. Kirts, m in law, 92, f, w, IN, PA, VT, Wd
Wilbur S. Kirts, br in law, m, w, 63, OR, IN, IN, single, grain farmer
 

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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in October 2005 by Diana Smith.  Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.