An Illustrated History of Central Oregon, Western Historical Publishing Company,
Spokane, WA. 1905, page 399-400.

JAMES W. MARQUISS. The Edict of Nantes secured by Henry IV of France insured to
the Huguenots of France political and civil liberty. In 1685 this precious law
was repealed by Louis XIV of France and the resulting persecution drove those
good people to all parts of the world. Many found refuge in the colonies and
especially did they settle in South Carolina. Among these were the Marquiss
families from whom comes the subject of this article. He was born in Missouri,
on December 26, 1841, the son of Jacob and Esther (Ellis) Marquiss, natives of
North Carolina. The father died when our subject was a year old. The mother then
came across the plains with her sons in 1847, using ox teams. Her people were
prominent in the early colonial days and fought in the Revolution and the other
wars of those times. One of her progenitors came over in the Mayflower. Shortly
after arriving in the Willamette valley, Mrs. Marquiss married Mr. George
Jeffry, who had crossed the plains in 1846. They took a donation claim and our
subject was reared on the same. In November, 1861, Mr. Marquiss enlisted in
Company C, First Oregon Cavalry and served for three years. He was stationed in
southern Oregon and was a non-commissioned officer. Following the war he located
in what is now Morrow county, Oregon, then Umatilla, and farmed and raised stock
from 1865 to 1879, having a home-stead, He sold his homestead in 1879 and bought
the place where he now dwells. He has two hundred and forty acres and tills
about thirty-five acres. He has an orchard of seven acres and raises much stock.      

In 1866, Mr. Marquiss married Miss Adeline Adams, a native of Germany. She died
in 1901. On November 12, 1901, Mr. Marquiss married Mrs. Clara M. Allison, a
native of Pennsylvania. Her father, James D. Shaw, was a native of Scotland, and
came to the United States in 1840. He married a Scotch lass, who came to the
United States in the early forties, the wedding occurring in 1845. Mr. Marquiss
has no brothers living, but has three half sisters, Ellen Kuney, Jennie Stanley
and Annie Maxfield. By his first wife, Mr. Marquiss has three children: Frank, a
farmer near Goldendale, Washington; Lester, at home; and Ada, the widow of A.A.
Urquhart, and living in The Dalles. Mrs. Marquiss has one child by her former
marriage, Frank, an oil operator in West Virginia. Mr. Marquiss is a Republican
and displays a zeal and activity commendable in the interests of his party. Mrs.
Marquiss has the following named brothers and sisters, William A., Elmer,
Howard, Ira C., Robert H., Ella Anderson, Sarah Kennedy, and Addie Kneedler.
Mrs. Marquiss is a member of the O.E.S. Mr. Marquiss is a man of excellent
standing and has wrought with industry and wisdom here for the general progress.

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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.