Clark, Robert Carlton, Ph.D. "History of the Willamette Valley Oregon." Vol. 3. Chicago: Chapman Publishing Company, 1927. p. 196. WILLIAM C. WASHBURNE No man, ranks higher in the banking circles of the Willamette Valley than William C. Washburne, president of the First National Bank of Junction City, with which institution he has been identified since 1912. He comes of sterling old pioneer stock, his father, who was numbered among the argonauts of 1849, having been prominent and influential in the early affairs of Oregon, contributing in large measure to the progress and development of the commonwealth. William C. Washburne, has been a lifelong resident of Lane county, where he was born on the 21st of September, 1867, a son of Hon. Charles Wesley and Catherine A. (Stansbury) Washburne. His grandparents in the paternal line were Robert and Eve (Roy) Washburne, natives respectively of England and Wales. Robert Washburne, being the youngest son in his father's family and therefore, according to the laws of England, without patrimony, came to the United States and first located in Ohio. Some time later he moved to the vicinity of Springfield, Sangamon county, Illinois, where he and his wife spent their remaining years, her death occurring in 1839 and his in 1840. Charles W. Washburne was born in Gallia county, Ohio, September 13, 1824, and was reared in that state and in Illinois, securing his education in the somewhat primitive schools of those pioneer days. In 1849 he joined a large company and started across the plains for. California, meeting with many thrilling and dangerous adventures on the way. They finally reached Hangtown and Sutter's mill, and then went on to Sacramento, where Mr. Washburne sold his oxen and wagon, and in the middle fork of the American river began digging for gold. He worked there until his head was almost under water, when he gave up and went to the north fork of the American river in Humboldt county, where, with some old acquaintances, he began mining. They were not successful and he went to Grizzly canyon, where he remained until the fall of 1850, when he took a steamer from Sacramento to San Francisco, thence proceeded down the coast by sailing vessel, across Nicaragua to the Atlantic, and from there sailed to New Orleans. At the Crescent city he boarded the steamer "Wide West," on which he traveled as far as St. Louis, where the boat was stopped by the heavy ice, and Mr. Washburne then bought a wagon and team, with which he drove to his home at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. There he formed the acquaintance of Catherine Stansbury, to whom he was married on November 23, 1851, after which he bought a farm, with the intention of settling there, but he was not content with that country and, a year later, sold his property and outfitted two wagons for Oregon, one of which he turned over to his sister Jane and her husband, R. S. Robert. His eldest brother, James W., also outfitted two wagons, so that they brought all their relatives with them, excepting one sister, who died soon afterwards. They started March 21, 1853, and passed through all the experiences incident to an overland journey in those days. When near Chimney Rock their first child was born and was given the name of Ruth Ellen. On crossing the Umatilla river they saw the first house in two thousand miles. From there they proceeded over the Cascade mountains by the Barlow route and into the Willamette Valley, where they found trees weighted down with red apples. They arrived at their claim, two miles west of what is now Junction City, on November 9, 1853, after a journey of seven and a half months, and within two weeks Mr. Washburne had a roof on his little cabin, into which the family moved. He resided on this donation claim twenty years, but in 1873 bought of T. A. Milliorn one hundred and sixty acres adjoining Junction City, to which he moved, though still retaining the home place. For many years he was extensively engaged in farming and stock raising, becoming the owner of ten thousand acres of land, eight hundred acres of which were under cultivation. He also owned several flourmills and became a director of the Farmers & Merchants Bank of Junction City, which later became the First National Bank. He remained actively identified with business affairs for many years, after which he retired, and died in 1919, at the age of ninety-five years. He was an active republican in politics, having cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln and in 1872 he was elected to the Oregon legislature, where he did much effective work for his state. He was a member of the group of far-sighted and influential men who were mainly instrumental in securing the location of the University of Oregon at Eugene and the erection of the state capitol at Salem. In 1908 he donated the land for what is now known as the Washburne high school and he rendered material assistance in the establishment of the Methodist Episcopal church in Junction City. During all the years of his residence here he displayed great interest in the development of his section of the valley and was one of its foremost citizens in every respect. Mrs. Catherine A. Washburne was born in Indiana and was a daughter of John and Ruth (Hubble) Stansbury, the former a native of Maryland. Her death occurred in Junction City on April 4, 1894. To Mr. and Mrs. Washburne were born thirteen children, four of whom died in infancy, while the following reached maturity : Ruth Ellen, now deceased, was the wife of John Wortman, of, the First National Bank of McMinnville. George S., who was a member of the first graduating class of the University of Oregon, became a prominent lawyer and served as judge of Lane county. He died, leaving two sons, Chester W., a graduate of the University of Oregon, who is an expert geologist and is connected with large oil companies, and Carl G., who is a member of the firm of McMorran & Washburne. Eva J. is the widow of Robert Hill, late of Colfax, Washington, and the mother of three children; Byron A. is vice-president of the First National Bank of Junction City, whose daughter, Mrs. Helen Martin, a widow, lives in San Francisco, and whose son, Claude B., is also a vice-president of the First National Bank; William C. is the next of the family; Emma A. is the wife of W. W. Crawford, a capitalist of Albany, Oregon ; Bertha K. is the wife of E. U. Lee, of Eugene. Fred W. is engaged in business in Portland. William C. Washburne attended the public schools and spent two years in the University of Oregon, after which he engaged in flour milling for about two years, at the end of which time he became cashier of the Farmers & Merchants Bank of Junction City, which had been established May 2, 1893, with the following officers and directors : J. A. Bushnell, president ; W. C. Washburne, cashier ; and C. W. Washburne, J. P. Milliorn, T. A. Milliorn and George W. Pickett, directors. This was started as a state bank, with seven thousand dollars of paid-up capital, and in 1912 was nationalized, under the name of the First National Bank, with a capital of fifty thousand dollars and a surplus of ten thousand dollars. On the death of Mr. Bushnell, in April, 1912, Mr. Washburne became president and F. W. Moorhead, cashier, in which positions both have served to the present time, the other officers, and directors being, C. B. Washburne and B. A. Washburne, vice-presidents; J. P. Milliorn and Hans Wilde, directors. From the day of its establishment, the bank has been under the personal management of Mr. Washburne and its continued success through the thirty-four years of its history has been a splendid tribute to his sound judgment and executive ability. The bank was first located in a small one-story brick building, but in 1912 moved into its present two-story, white pressed- brick building, which cost thirty-five thousand dollars, is modern in all of its appointments and admirably adapted to the business. The First National Bank now serves over two thousand depositors, maintains a savings and trust department and acts as administrator of estates. Mr. Washburne is a director of the Security Savings & Loan Association of Eugene and has large farm interests, which are managed by his son. In 1892 Mr. Washburne was united in marriage to Miss Julia Hamilton, who was born in Roseburg, Douglas county, Oregon, and is a daughter of Dr. S. Hamilton, formerly a regent of the University of Oregon. Mrs. Washburne died in 1922, leaving a son, James W., who attended the Oregon Agricultural College, at Corvallis, and now lives on and operates the old homestead farm near Junction City. He is married and has four children. In 1924 Mr. Washburne was married to Mrs. Mae Dann, of Salem. Mr. Washburne is a stanch republican in his political views and is a member of Junction City Lodge, No. 128, A. F. & A. M., of which he is a past master and has been secretary for many years ; Eugene Chapter, R. A. M.; Portland Consistory, A. A. S. R.; and Al Kader Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of Portland. He is also a charter and life member of Eugene Lodge, No. 357, B.P.O.E.; and belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Woodmen of the World. He also belongs to the Chamber of Commerce. A man of broad views, well defined opinions and commendable public spirit, no movement for the benefit of his locality has ever lacked his wholehearted support, while in civic affairs his influence has been consistently exerted for the betterment of the community. For these things, as well as for his splendid personality, he has commanded the sincere respect of his fellowmen. ******************* Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in October 2010 by Diana Smith. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.