Shaver, F. A., Arthur P. Rose, R. F. Steele, and A. E. Adams, compilers. "An Illustrated History of Central Oregon." ("Embracing Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam, Wheeler, Crook, Lake, & Klamath Counties") Spokane, WA: Western Historical Publishing Co., 1905. p. 516. DE WITT C. IRELAND Senior member of the firm of Ireland & Son, printers and publishers of the Sherman county Observer, at Moro, is a veteran journalist whose career has embraced a most extensive field in the great newspaper world. He comes of good old New England stock, having been born at Rutland, Vermont, July 4, 1836, the son of William and Marinda (Ellsworth) Ireland. The family of our subject migrated to Indiana when he was about three or four years of age, and he received an excellent education in an Episcopal school, the pastor of which, in addition to a judiciously selected curriculum, taught him the printing trade, at which he became exceedingly expert. This was in Mishawaka, Indiana. His subsequent career in the newspaper field is full of interest. Removing to South Bend, Indiana, when he was fifteen years old, he worked on a journal edited by Schuyler Colfax, who became vice-president of the United States under President U. S. Grant, three years later he returned to Mishawaka and projected the Free Press. This was on July 14, 1855, and the paper was conducted a year or two. Disposing of this property he went to Detroit, Michigan, where he was engaged by Wilbur F. Story, of the Detroit Free Press, as a reporter. From here he went to St. Paul, Minnesota, where he was connected with the Pioneer Press. At one period he was superintendent of the penitentiary printing office, at Jackson, Michigan. While there he invented a scientific gear for printing presses, and later worked for the eminent old-time journalist, Horace Greeley, on the New York Tribune, in the mechanical and editorial departments. Mr. Ireland was, also, for a time connected with the mechanical department of the great publishing house of Harper & Brothers, New York city. Returning west as a secretary of the Egbert Commission of congress, he visited New Ulm, Fort Ridgely, and so forth, in the effort to settle timber stealing and liquor selling on the Sioux reservation. He conveyed machinery for the steamer Anson Northrup, overland, to Red River -- the first steamboat in the country. In the early part of the civil war our subject enlisted for three months, but on reaching St. Louis the company was disbanded, and its officers tried to induce its members to join the ranks for three years or during the war. Returning to St. Paul he outfitted for Oregon, and with a mule train he crossed the plains in the fall of 1861, bringing with him the famous stallion, "Emigrant." While at The Dalles Mr. Ireland set up the first job press -- a Gordon -- ever put into commission east of the Cascades in the Oregon country. It came west via the "Horn" and was sent out to W. H. Newell of The Dalles Mountaineer. During five or six years he was more or less in gold mining. In 1870 he entered the employment of the famous Ben Holliday, assisting in securing the right of way for the O. & C. railway from Oregon City to Salem on the east side of the Willamette river. He then became editor of the Portland Bulletin, Holliday's paper, was previously city editor of the Portland Oregonian, during which time he employed Harvey Scott, its present proprietor, as editorial writer and as custodian of the Portland library. Going to Oregon City Mr. Ireland established the Enterprise in 1866 and subsequently the Astorian, in 1873; disposing of the property in 1880. going to the Fraser river in 1882 he became interested in salmon canning, and afterwards he established a job printing office in company with F. W. Baltes in Portland at the instance of Henry Villard. Going to The Dalles he became editor of the Chronicle, and later for a few months he was editor of the Wasco County Sun. The flood of 1894 ruined the plant, and in May, of that year, he came to Sherman county and purchased the Moro Observer, subsequently changing the name to the Sherman County Observer. Our subject has, by his first wife, one child living: Alba, a Chicago painter; by his second wife, Lillie, wife of Grant L. Rohr, an orchardist of Moro; De Witt L., of Sidney, Australia; C. Leonard. The latter was born February 22, 1875, at Astoria, at present he is in partnership in the printing business with his father. C. Leonard Ireland was united in marriage, October 15, 1903, at Randall, Minnesota, to Laura Thomas, a native of Canada, the daughter of Samuel Thomas, also of the Old Dominion. Another son of our subject is Francis C., at present in the De Moss Springs Printing office. C. Leonard grew up in the printing business and has been a partner of his father since 1885, with the exception of two years passed in Portland. Our subject is, fraternally, a member of the A. F. & A. M., the I.O.O.F. and the K. P. He is a member of the Episcopal church and politically a Republican. In 1880 he was elected a delegate to the Republican national convention, at Chicago, which nominated President Garfield, and was Garfield's private secretary during the convention. Mr. Ireland is a broad-minded and progressive citizen, and one who has won the confidence of the community in which he resides. Transcriber's additional notes: CENSUS 1860, June 12; Jackson Co, MI; Jackson Wd 2, p 91 Eliza Olds, 54, MD, seamstress Jenny ?, 25, MD, seamstress Dewitt C. Ireland, 26, VT, printer Kate, 26, NY Alva J, 2, MI 1870, June 29; Multnomah Co, OR; Portland, p 217 Dewitt C. Ireland, 34, VT, printer, editor, $400 / $1000 pers. prop. Olive M., 30, IL, $2000 real estate Alba James, 12, MI, att. school, $2000 real estate Sarah Lillie, 6, OR, att. school Henry L, 3, OR Frances F. Victor, 46, MA, authoress, $3000 pers. prop. 1880, June 19; Clatsop Co, OR; Astoria, p 274, Astoria court st. Dewitt C. Ireland, 45, MN, MN, MN, editor Olive M, wife, 43, NY, PA, IL, keeping house Lillie O, dau, 16, OR, MN, NY, att. school Dewitt Clinton, son, 10, OR, MN, NY, att. school Clinton L, son, 5, OR, MN, NY Francis B, son, 3, OR, MN, NY 1900, June 1; Sherman Co, OR; Moro Pct, p 127 D. C. Ireland, 63, July 1836, VT, ENG, CT, Wd, editor & publisher C. Leonard Ireland, son, 25, Feb 1875, OR, VT, MN, printer & publisher ******************* Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in April 2006 by Diana Smith. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.