Gaston, Joseph. "The Centennial History of Oregon, 1811-1912." Vol. 3. Chicago, Clarke Publishing Co., 1912. p. 1023. WILLIAM FRIZZELL who is a well known resident of Cascade Locks, was one of the pioneers of Oregon, having come to this state in 1852. He was born near Springfield, Missouri, December 7, 1840, a son of Porter and Lily (Porter) Frizzell. The paternal grandfather, Jason Frizzell, a native of Wales, came to America and settled in Missouri, being one of the pioneers of that state. The mother, Lily (Porter) Frizzell, was born near Nashville, Tennessee. In 1852 the family started across the plains for Oregon with ox teams but were beset with many difficulties, having five deaths in the family on the way. Jason Frizzell died at Meacham, in the Blue mountains. The father, Porter Frizzell, died at John Days river and one of the father's sisters and her husband and son also died on the. way. The mother, Lily (Porter) Frizzell, with her six children survived. They were in a train of thirty wagons with about sixty able-bodied men in the party. They arrived at The Dalles, and, leaving their stock there, they took a boat down the Columbia river to Portland. At that time there was only a few buildings in Portland and they were forced to camp in emigrant tents. They intended to go to Salem but the Willamette river was so low that they could not proceed directly on the trip. Later the mother with her family worked their way to Salem and after one winter there went to Polk county, where they took up a donation land claim of one hundred and sixty acres. They went through many of the hardships of pioneer life and during the severe winter of 1851-2 all their stock were killed and the family was destitute. On this farm the mother died at the age of seventy-three years. In her family were six children, of whom the subject of this sketch is the oldest. The others were: Mrs. Catherine McNary and Mrs. Mira Holmes, both deceased; Joseph, who passed away in 1910; Jason, of Salem; and Lafayette, of Polk county. William Frizzell remained with his mother on her donation land claim until he was twenty-two years of age. He then went to the mines at Boise, Idaho, where he worked at freighting for a number of years. Subsequently he located five miles south of The Dalles, on a farm of one hundred acres. After a few years he went to the Columbia river, above Cascade Locks, and erected a sawmill in partnership with his father-in-law, Mr. Cates. The mill was known as the Cates & Frizzell Mill and they operated the same for about fifteen years. Mr. Frizzell then came to Cascade Locks and has resided here ever since. He owns near here a ranch of fifty acres. He was well acquainted with' many of the prominent pioneers of Oregon, among whom was Dr. McLaughlin, who was later' governor of Oregon and he often visited at his home when he was mayor of Oregon City. In 1872 Mr. Frizzell married Miss Sarah Cates, who was born in Missouri in 1851 and was brought across the plains in 1853 by her parents, John and Sarah Cates. The mother died soon after their arrival in Oregon and the father passed away in September, 1909. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Frizzell were four children: Lilly, who is the wife of George W. Harris, of Portland; Ella, now Mrs. William Ash, of Cascade Locks; Maude "the deceased wife of Orville Ross, who passed away in October, 1911; and Lottie, whose death occurred in October, 1894. Coming to Oregon in 1852 as a youth of only twelve years Mr. Frizzell drove a team all the way across the plains and since that time÷a period of almost sixty years÷ he has made his home in this state. During that time he has seen the country develop from its pioneer condition into the present prosperous state and he has not only been an interested witness to the changes that have here occurred but has also been a helpful and cooperant factor in the general advancement. ******************* Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in November 2008 by Diana Smith. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.