Shaver, F. A., Arthur P. Rose, R. F. Steele, and A. E. Adams, compilers.  "An
Illustrated History of Central Oregon." ("Embracing Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam,
Wheeler, Crook, Lake, & Klamath Counties")  Spokane, WA: Western Historical
Publishing Co., 1905.  p. 492.
 
PROF. JAMES M. DEMOSS

     for many years at the head of "The Lyric Bards of America," and residing at
DeMoss Springs, Sherman county, Oregon, was born in Indiana, May 15,1837, the
son of Peter and Elizabeth (Stewart) DeMoss. The "Lyric Bards" have won a
worldwide fame, and the term "world-wide" is used advisedly, for their musical
field has not been confined to the United States, but has extended over the
greater portions of Europe. During the Chicago World's Fair of 1893 they became
the official musical organization of that vast enterprise.
     Peter DeMoss, the father of our subject, was born in Richmond, Virginia, in
1787, and died in Marion county, Iowa, in 1853. His father, John DeMoss, was a
native of Virginia, the son of Louis, a French Huguenot. John served with
distinction in the Revolutionary War. Peter DeMoss was an athlete, six feet one
inch in height, and at the age of twenty-two years he became a professional
pugilist, defeating many opponents, though not for money, but finally retiring
from the ring, convinced that fighting was an unworthy method of making a
livelihood. Subsequently he became a steamboat captain on the Ohio and
Mississippi rivers.
     Elizabeth Stewart, who became the bride of our subject's father, was a
native of Ohio. Her mother, Mollie Stewart, was a distinguished actress and
singer for many years. It may be said that she was reared in the atmosphere of
the theatre and her histrionic career was eminently successful. The "Stewart
Family" for a number of years toured the United States, appearing in all the
principal cities, making their home later in Cincinnati, Ohio. During the War of
1812 her father enlisted. Having served through the war he started for his home,
but was killed on the way by a limb falling from a tree. Until her death his
widow was in receipt of a pension from the United States government. She and her
daughter were members of the dramatic profession, but were subsequently
converted at a camp meeting and abandoned the boards to become singing
evangelists. Elizabeth Stewart joined the United Brethren church and became a
licensed preacher. Mollie Stewart was burned to death at the age of ninety-six
years. September 7, 1893, Elizabeth Stewart DeMoss, the mother of our subject,
passed from earth in her ninetieth year.
     The father of our subject, Peter DeMoss, was a devout Christian in later
life and becoming disgusted with slavery, removed to Indiana, and later to Iowa.
James M. DeMoss was reared in the Hawkeye State. Here he received an excellent
education in a subscription school, and at Western College, in Linn county, a
United Brethren school. He pursued scientific and musical courses. Subsequently
he preached, conducting religious services and singing schools. At the age of
sixteen he taught music and really began singing at the age of two years.        
     On attaining his majority our subject was united in married to Elizabeth A.
Bonebrake, a native of Indiana. She was the daughter of Henry and Margaret
(Wolf) Bonebrake, both natives of Ohio, the father of German ancestry; the
mother of Dutch extraction. He became a preacher in the United Brethren. Church,
a pioneer evangelist and among the first bishops elected in the church. But he
refused to accept this office. He died in Iowa. Our subject was married November
25, 1858, and in 1862, accompanied by his wife, came to the Powder Valley,
Oregon, as a missionary, the pioneer missionary of the United Brethren church
east of the Cascade mountains.
     "A preacher of the gospel, a missionary, a musician, with his singing wife,
who sang as they started across the wilderness of mighty plains in the year A.
D. 1862, with an ox team, the best mode of traveling in those early days,
leaving their homes and turning their faces westward to the land of the setting
sun, they plodded along day after day,'through alkali dust and over rugged
mountains, glad when a day's march was done and their journey shortened eighteen
or twenty miles.  This zealous Christian couple, James M. DeMoss and Elizabeth
Bonebrake DeMoss, started their work with great success in portions of Oregon,
Washington and Idaho, gaining many souls to Christ. In due time they were
blessed with a little family of singers, who sang at their father's meetings and
singing classes."
     They located in Sherman county, and in 1883 took up land, which they
cultivated when not out with his company. In 1873, while in Des Moines, Iowa,
with his concert company, he joined the Baptist church, and is still a preacher
of that denomination. His wife died, December 28, 1886, at Roseburg, Oregon.
     December 10, 1889, at Carlton, Illinois, our subject was married to Julia
E. Shatto, a native of Iowa, born in Washington county, September 30, 1862, the
daughter of Ralph and Julia (Plumb) Shatto, both natives of Ohio. Julia and
Martha Plumb studied in Oberlin College, the latter graduating. Ralph Shatto was
a newspaper man of national reputation, having begun his career as publisher of
a college paper (Western College), the same attended by our subject.
Subsequently, for several years, he conducted the New Orleans Republican. His
last paper was the Tribune, of Harvey, Illinois. He died August 21, 1899, at
Toledo, Iowa. The parents of Julia Plumb were New York people, and Senator
Plumb, of Kansas, was her first cousin. Her brother, Colonel Ralph Plumb, was, a
noted Abolitionist who served three months in jail at Oberlin, Ohio, for
rescuing a free negro who was to be taken to Kentucky under the fugitive slave
law.  He became very wealthy, being a "coal baron" of Illinois, and at one
period owned the townsite of Streator, Illinois, of which he was mayor for many
years, and served two terms in congress.  Her father served three years in the
Civil war, in Company C, Nineteenth Iowa Volunteers. 
     Our subject, by his first wife, has three children living: Henry and
George, Sherman county and owners, and members of the DeMoss Concert Company:
Lizzie, wife of Peter W. Davis a Sherman county farmer, and member of the
company. Minnie, another daughter, died in Wheatland, California, December 1,
1896, aged twenty-seven. She was a most accomplished lady bright intelligent,
and a cultured and artistic contralto singer. May, died in October, 1886, at
Hornbrook, California, aged fifteen years, but her brief life gave promise of a
most brilliant future. The children by his second marriage are John M. aged
eight years, and Ruth, aged six, who were juvenile performers with their parents
in their entertainments. At present our subject is a Prohibitionist, but for
many years was a stanch Republican, having cast his first vote for Abraham
Lincoln. He has one brother and three sisters; Peter a retired farmer, living
near Moro, and an old Indian fighter; Mary A., wife of George C. Davis deceased,
of Lincoln, Nebraska; Lucinda, widow of R. Shatto, deceased, of New Hampton,
Iowa; Elizabeth S, widow of Rev. C. B. Davis, living at DeMoss Springs.  Rev. C.
B. Davis died at Salem, November 28, 1902, and is buried at DeMoss Springs.
     The second wife of our subject was reared by the Plumb family, and educated
at Western College where, for many years she was a music teacher. She has one
half-brother, Rev. Charles R. Shatto, of New Hampton, Iowa, pastor of the
Congregational church at that place. During the state oratorical contest he
secured the first prize.
     Our subject located the townsite of North Powder and built three toll
bridges crossing both Powder and Grande Ronde rivers; he also erected the first
sawmill in the Grande Ronde valley, and located and owned the town of Weiser,
Idaho. He has been largely interested in real estate and has been uniformly
successful financially. For his services as preacher he receives no salary, and
is the pioneer missionary teacher of eastern Oregon and Washington, having in
early days taught music in Walla Walla and Grande Ronde valleys.                          
     Prof. DeMoss is author of the "Key to Music," of the cantata "Joseph, the
Hebrew Governor of Egypt," which was published in Philadelphia, in 1891, of a
number of patriotic and sacred songs, and with his sons. Henry and George, and
daughters, Minnie and Lizzie composed the songs of the "Columbia Souvenir
songs," introduced during the Columbian Exposition in Chicago, in 1893. The
family composed and published the "Songs of Jesus"
     In 1872, Prof. DeMoss and family began crying concerts, the initial
entertainments being at Cove Oregon. The DeMoss family are now in their
thirty-third year of touring, having given three seasons in New England, three
in the northern states, three in the southern states, seven in the northwest and
California, one in Europe and two in Canada. The children all received most
thorough instruction from their father and took postgraduate courses in the
Royal Academy of London; George in voice and cello, Minnie and Lizzie in voice
and violin. Henry in voice, violin and musical composition. Lillie was an
actress and a member of her father's troupe until her death, having commenced
composition of music when thirteen.
     The DeMoss estate consists of twelve hundred acres traversed by the
Columbia Southern railroad. The town of DeMoss Springs is located about the
center of the property.


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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in December 2010 by Diana Smith.
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.