Gaston, Joseph.  "The Centennial History of Oregon, 1811-1912."  Vol. 2. 
Chicago, Clarke Publishing Co., 1912. p. 39.

	J. W. WISDOM.  In a history devoted to the lives of men whose energy and
enterprise have substantially contributed toward the progress and development of
the county, mention must be made to J. W. Wisdom, the veteran druggist of Baker
City, who for forty-five years has been actively identified with various
business interests of that city.
	He was born in Randolph county, Missouri, on the 15th of March, 1840, and is
a son of Thomas B. and Lucinda (Gess) Wisdom.  The parents were both natives of
Kentucky, the father having been born in Fayette county and the mother in
Garrard county.  During the early period of their domestic life they located in
Missouri, where for many years the father engaged in agricultural pursuits.  In
1863 he crossed the plains to Oregon with his wife and family, locating in Baker
county, and here both he and the mother passed away.  The family of Mr. and Mrs.
Wisdom numbered twelve, five of whom are still living.
	Reared on the farm where he was born, while still in his early boyhood J. W.
Wisdom began to assist in its operation, and by the time he had attained his
maturity he was thoroughly familiar with the practical methods of tilling the
fields and caring for the crops.  He attended the public schools in the vicinity
of his home until he had mastered his the common branches, when he laid aside
his text-books and gave his undivided attention to the work of the farm.  The
Civil war having entirely disrupted this section of the state, in 1862, Mr.
Wisdom decided to come to the northwest and see if better advantages were not
afforded here.  He joined a train containing sixty-five wagons in the summer of
that year and started across the plains.  About forty-five of the wagons came
here and landed their parties in the Powder river valley on the night of
September 6, 1862.  Almost immediately after their arrival Mr. Wisdom went to
The Dalles with a wagon for supplies, and upon his return he went to work on the
Auburn canal, where he was employed all that winter.  In the spring he went ot
Idaho and engaged in mining until his parents arrived in Baker City late in the
summer when he joined them.  He next turned his attention to freighting,
covering the territory from Umatilla to Boise during the succeeding four years.
During that time he began the study of Pharmacy, acquiring sufficient knowledge
of the properties of drugs and their various uses from a few works on chemistry
and the instruction of a physician to enable him to engage in business.  In 1867
he opened the first drug store in Baker City and has ever since been actively
engaged in the operation of this establishment.  He is not only the veteran
druggist of Baker City but in all probability of the state, as he has been
continuously identified with the business for forty-five years.  His efforts
have prospered and in addition to his fine store, Mr. Wisdom is the owner of a
valuable ranch of two hundred and seventy-three acres, all under irrigation,
located two and a half miles from Baker City.  In addition to this he is
president and owns one-third of the stock in the Home Real Estate Company, which
corporation handles its own property exclusively.
	On the 14th of June, 1868, Mr. Wisdom was united in marriage to Miss Mary E.
Sturgill, a native of Kansas and a daughter of John Sturgill, who is deceased.
Mr. and Mrs. Wisdom have five children who are living, as follows:  Frances, the
wife of E. H. Blake, of Kansas City, Missouri; Loys W. and Mabel G., both of
whom are at home;  Glen Albert, a student in th4e law department of the Kansas
State University; and John W., Jr., of Baker.
	The family affiliate with the Episcopal church, in which the parents hold
membership, and fraternally Mr. Wisdom has passed through all of the chairs of
the Masonic order, and of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.  He belongs to
the Canton, the military degree of the latter organization, and to Eleazar
Encampment, No. 7.  His political support he gives to the democratic party, and
his fellow townsmen have on several occasions called him to public office.  He
was elected to the state senate in 1874, serving in that capacity for four
years, and in 1880 was elected delegate to the democratic national convention
held at Cincinnati.  From 1893 to 1898 he discharged the duties of city
treasurer.  For nine years he was he was chairman of the school board, having
held this office when the first large school was erected in Baker City.  From
the earliest period of his residence here to the present time, Mr. Wisdom has
been one of the prominent factors in the development and upbuilding of the town.
He has high standards regarding the responsibilities and duties of citizenship
and despite the exactions his private interest have made upon his time has
always discharged his public obligations ably.  At various times he was
identified with different enterprises of a local nature and has on every
occasion done what he could to promote commercial activities, and can be
depended upon at all times to indorse every movement that will tend to advance
the general welfare of the community or its public utilities.


*******************

Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in October 2015 by Dale Givens, odg -at-
hiwaay.net.

More information can be found at:
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=bakerco&id=I21789