"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 605.  Malheur County.

STOWELL L. PAYNE

     The well known and representative farmer whose name appears above is one of
the wealth producers of Malheur county, having been a pioneer of the same, and
has labored steadily since for its development and advancement.  His ranch,
where the family home is located, is six miles from Westfall, on Bully creek,
and is one of the first places located on that creek above Westfall.  He has his
land all fenced and well improved and cultivated.  Has fine buildings and a good
orchard, and is one of the leading tillers of the soil in western Malheur.
     Speaking more particularly of the personal history of our subject, we note
that his birth occurred in Jefferson county, Wisconsin, on December 1, 1852, and
his parents were James and Emiline (Woolley) Payne.  The father died when
Stowell I., was a boy.  He attended the public school, and later the Milton
college, after which he took a position as bookkeeper, and finding to too
confining for his health he went at out-door labor, traveling over the county.
In 1872 he came to the west with an emigrant train, landing in Elko county,
Nevada, and rode the range for a time, also mining.  In 1873 he was in the
Grande Ronde valley a short time.  Eighteen hundred and seventy-six is the next
date when he came to the Grande Ronde valley, and there, on November 28, 1878,
occurred the happy event of his marriage with Miss Sarah A., daughter of
Benjamin F. and Lucy (Russell) Kendall, whose father crossed the plains with ox
teams in 1851, settling in Linn county, Oregon, the birth place of Mrs. Payne.
In 1882 Mr. Payne came to Lower Willow creek, then in Baker county, and the
following year located his present place.
     Fraternally Mr. Payne is identified with the Masons, Acacia Lodge, No. 118,
of Ontario.  In politics he is active, being a strong Republican, and he has
always labored faithfully for the good of the county.  He was appointed county
assessor, and was also stock inspector for a period, and in 1890 and 1900 he was
census enumerator.  To Mr. and Mrs. Payne there have been born seven children,
named as follows:  James, Benjamin, Frederick, Margaret A., Ella E., Carolie L.
and Edward.  It is of note that Mrs. Payne's father was in the Rogue river
Indian war, and was a true pioneer who always kept in mind the progress of the
country and the welfare of the people.
     

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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.