"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 609.  Malheur County.

THOMAS L. ARNOLD

     The subject of this sketch is well known throughout the western portion of
Malheur county, and, in fact, all over the county, having come here as a pioneer
and laboring in prominent positions since that time, being now a leading farmer
and stockman of the vicinity of Beulah.  His farm of two hundred acres lies four
miles northeast from Beulah, and is a valuable place, possessing fine
improvements, and is productive of handsome dividends annually.
     Mr. Arnold is a native of Mississippi, being born in Panola county, on
February 28, 1842, the son of John and Mary Arnold.  The mother died when he was
a child, and he grew to manhood with his father on the farm, securing a good
education from the common schools.  On May 1, 1861, Mr. Arnold enlisted in the
Confederate army, in the first Mississippi battery, and from that time until the
discharge at Gainsville, Alabama, on May 5, 1865, he was in the regular army,
and generally in the hottest of the fights.  He participated in the battles of
Shiloh, Baton Rouge, Holly Springs, Memphis, Fort Pillow, Nashville, and the
siege of Vicksburg, beside many others.  He was wounded in the head, in the
breast, in the hips and in the leg, all from gunshots, and also received a saber
cut on the hand.  He was under Bragg, and then with Forrest, and was field
sergeant all the time.  In 1867 Mr. Arnold's father died, and the following year
he removed to Grayson county, Texas, with his family, having been married on
January 9, 1861, to Elizabeth Withers.  They were schoolmates together, and
about the same age.  From Texas they journeyed to Colorado Springs in 1873, and
in 1878 to Albion, Idaho, and in 1883 he came to his present place.  All of
these moves were made with teams, and that across the plains with ox teams.  His
place is known as the agency valley, and he was appointed postmaster in 1884.
He continued to act as postmaster until 1897, the office being named from one of
his daughters, and when he resigned it was removed to its present location, four
miles southwest from the home place.  Eighteen hundred and eighty-six was the
date when Mr. Arnold bought his present place form the state and school lands.
Fraternally he is affiliated with the A.F. & A.M., Acacia Lodge, No. 118, at
Ontario.  The children born to this worthy couple are named as follows:  Mrs.
Mary McManus, of Susanville, Grant county, Oregon; Thomas F., near Drewsey; Mrs.
Beulah Rutherford, from whom the postoffice was named, now living in Ontario;
Oscar; Charles; Hoyt, near Hamilton, Grant county.  Mr. Arnold was the first to
locate in the valley with a family.  He has continued steadily in the good labor
of development of the resources of the country, and deserves much credit for it,
while he is highly esteemed by his fellows.
 

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