An Illustrated History of Central Oregon, Western Historical Publishing Company,
Spokane, WA. 1905, p. 348.

JOSEPH PURSER resides about two miles out from Hood River, on Belmont street and
is one of the leading and thrifty horticulturists of the valley. He was born in
England on November 20, 1848, the son of Thomas and Martha (Wast) Purser,
natives of England. The father was a brick maker and came to the United States
with his family in 1851, settling in Danville, Illinois. He followed his trade
until 1872, when he sold his property and came to Oregon. For two years he lived
in Portland, then removed to Hood River where he died in 1861. The mother died
here in 1897. Their marriage occurred in England, in May, 1841. The father was a
very skillful brick maker and manufactured all the brick used in the capitol
building at Springfield, Illinois. Our subject was raised and educated in
Danville and labored with his father until they came to Oregon. He was employed
for a couple of years in Portland, then came to Hood River and homesteaded
eighty acres, where he has since lived. He is one of the early settlers here and
has labored continuously for the building up of the country. His land is
unexcelled in quality and owing to his nearness to town, he has advantageously
sold all of it except eighteen and one half acres. He has six acres of
strawberries and the balance to other fruit and general crops.      

At Danville, Illinois, in 1871, the day of the Chicago fire, Mr. Purser married.
He was a member of the Danville fire department and just after the ceremony as
he was accompanying his bride down the street the fire alarm sounded and he
hurried to headquarters just in time to be rushed away on the train to Chicago
and did not see his wife again for four days.      

In Portland, in 1874, Mrs. Purser died. A second marriage was contracted by Mr.
Purser, the same being in 1880, when Ellen Swan, a native of England and the
daughter of George and Mary Swan, became his wife. She came to the United States
in 1869. Her parents lived at White Salmon. Mr. Purser has two brothers, David
and John and two sisters, Mrs. Phoebe Foss and Mrs. Mary Noble. Mr. Purser is
the father of six children: Nora, wife of R.A. Phelps in the valley; Hattie,
wife of John Tyler, also in the valley; David J., Rena P., Winnie D. and Ira D.,
all at home.      

Politically, our subject is independent. He has served as road supervisor here
in the valley and made a record for himself in building the first gravel road in
this section. It was an excellent piece of work and has stimulated good road
building, one of the most important factors of a civilized country. In Illinois,
Mr. Purser was road supervisor for seven years and he is skilled in the way of
building good roads cheap. He has made a study of the matter and is one of the
best posted men on roads in the county. He is very enthusiastic in the
improvement of the country in every line and a progressive and good man.


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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in January 2005 by Jeffrey L. Elmer. 
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.