"An Illustrated history of Baker, Grant, Malheur and Harney Counties : with a
brief outline of the early history of the state of Oregon." Chicago?: Western
Historical Pub. Co., 1902.  Page 592.  Malheur County.

RICHARD S. RUTHERFORD

     As a man among men, possessed of integrity, ability and perseverance; as a
soldier, whose steady and constant service in the struggle for the punishment of
treason and the wiping out of the insult to the stars and stripes was valiant
and brave; as a business operator, whose wisdom and enterprise have been well
manifested; the subject of this sketch stands, and it is fitting that a
representation of him be granted space in this volume of Malheur's history.
     Richard S. was born in Armagh county, near Belfast, Ireland, on February
22, 1840, being the son of Thomas and Amelia (Parks) Rutherford, who emigrated
to this country when this son was eighteen months old.  They settled in Quebec,
Canada, whence in 1848 they came to Niagara county, New York.  In 1852 they
removed to Tuscola county, Michigan, and four years later our subject started in
life for himself.  His first move was to Scott county, Missouri, where he lived
until the breaking out of the Civil war.  At that particular time he was in
charge of a plantation.  On the tenth day of August, 1861, he offered his
services to fight the battles of the nation, enlisting in Company H, Eighth
Missouri Volunteer Infantry, being in the Fifteenth Army Corps under General
Logan, and in Sherman's Division.  He went in as private and helped with good
will to fight the battles of Ft. Donelson, Corinth and Shiloh, and then was
promoted to the position of head wagon master for the Fifteenth Corps train,
with a salary of one hundred and twenty-five dollars per month.  Then he
participated in the battles of Vicksburg, Jackson, Atlanta, Chattanooga and
Lookout Mountain, then on August 20, 1864, he received his honorable discharge
at Atlanta.  He returned to Michigan and in twenty days was back again to the
scene of fighting, and this time was installed as master of the hospital wood
train at Nashville, Tennessee, where he received a salary of one hundred and
fifty dollars per month.  During this time he was appointed as captain of a
special company when Hood surrounded Nashville.  He served until the close of
the war, then was honorably discharged and returned to Michigan.  He was
fortunate during the entire service, being in the hospital but one week and that
on account of the mumps.  Soon after returning to his old home in Michigan he
was married to Miss Elizabeth, daughter of Robert and Mary F. Turner, the
wedding occurring on June 14, 1866.  Mrs. Rutherford is a native of Canada and
of English extraction.  He operated a hotel for a short time and then, in 1867,
went to Georgetown, Colorado, and shortly after started the mining town of
Silver Plume.  He handled a pack train, and mined until 1876 and then went to
California, thence to Nevada, and in 1878 came to Waitsburg, Washington.
Eighteen hundred and eighty was the date he removed to Boise, Idaho, and three
years later he came to Ontario.  He opened the Rutherford, a first class hotel,
and operated it until 1892, when it burned down and then he removed on to his
farm, which he had taken as a soldier's homestead, and there he remained until
January, 1902, when he sold out and retired to Ontario.  Here he has a fine
residence in the heart of town, with ample grounds and tasty buildings.  To Mr.
and Mrs. Rutherford there have been born eight children, as follows:  Roy S.,
married to Beulah Arnold; Benjamin F., married to Daisy Henshaw; Charles E.,
deceased; Ray W., deceased; Adrian A.  Also John, Edwin and Clara, the three
oldest, who are deceased.  Mr. Rutherford is a past grand of the I.O.O.F.,
Ontario Lodge, No. 90; of the encampment; and of the A.F. & A.M., Acacia Lodge,
No. 118; and of the G.A.R., Alvin P. Hovey Post, of which he is past commander.
He and his wife are member of the Rebekahs and Eastern Star, and also are allied
with the Congregational church, while in political matters Mr. Rutherford is a
Republican.
     Mrs. Rutherford's parents were Robert and Mary (Franklin) Turner, and
Benjamin Franklin is one of her ancestors on her mother's side.
     

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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in March 2006 by Diana Smith. Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.