"Portrait and Biographical Record of Portland and Vicinity, Oregon." Authors: "a
compilation of this work....by a number of writers".  Chapman Publishing Co;
Chicago, 1903. p. 763.
 
WALTER L. HOLCOMB

     Through Clackamas county, and indeed in the whole state of Oregon, the name
of Holcomb is suggestive of all that is fine, substantial and developing. Walter
L. Holcomb was born in McDonough county, ILL., October 11, 1838, a son of Almond
B. Holcomb, a man of affairs, and the emigrant of the family to Oregon.
     Almond B. Holcomb was born near Albany, N. Y., and by occupation was a
carpenter, joiner and millwright. About 1816 he removed with his parents to
Ashtabula county, Ohio, and in 1836 settled near Quincy, ILL., where he
conducted a grist mill on a stream called Crooked Creek.   In Monmouth, Warren
county, he worked at his trade in connection with farming, and May 3, 1848, the
year before the great exodus, started from the Missouri river, and with ox teams
and wagons traversed the plains to Oregon, arriving at his destination on Arthur
prairie October 11, 1848. The winter over, he took up a donation claim of six
hundred and forty acres four miles northeast of what is now Oregon City, a
really discouraging proposition, for timber and brush covered the whole of it,
and rendered necessary a deal of preliminary work. Nevertheless, the
determination which had spanned the deprivations and dangers of the plains was
equally effective in grappling with crude and barren conditions on the coast,
and in time Mr. Holcomb succeeded in clearing and cultivating one hundred acres
of his land. At the same time he followed his trade in Oregon City, and these
combined occupations engaged his attention almost up to the time of his death,
April 19, 1888. In his young manhood he married Nancy Strong Gates, also a
native of New York state, and of this union there were born two sons, of whom
Walter L. was the youngest. The older son, Almond, has for many years been a
farmer and stock-raiser in Washington, but at present is living retired.
     As may be imagined, the early educational opportunities of Walter L.
Holcomb were limited indeed, owing partially to the necessity for hard work on
the part of the boy, and to the absence of a thoroughly organized school system.
Until the death of his parents he lived with them on the Clackamas county farm,
after which he assumed control of his heritage, which consisted of half of the
property. From time to time his name was prominently connected with
administrative affairs in the district, especially when his brother was sheriff,
at which time he himself was deputy sheriff, an association still in force when
Oregon was admitted as a state. Mr. Holcomb was a member of the school board for
many years, and held various other positions of trust. Yet it may be said that
his reputation rests principally upon those solid, reliable and conservative
traits and abilities which have ever been regarded as the bulwarks of the
communities in which they are found. His death occurred February 20, 1903.
     Mrs. Holcomb was formerly Diana McCubbins, a native of Miller county, Mo.,
and daughter of William R. McCubbins, who came from his native state of Kentucky
with his parents, settling in Miller county when a boy. Mr. McCubbins joined the
caravan westward bound in 1852, and in Clackamas county took up a claim seven
miles east of Oregon City, where his death occurred at the age of seventy-seven
years. He married Nancy Bilyeu, born in Kentucky, the second oldest in a family
of seven children.  Eleven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Holcomb, viz.:
Fannie, deceased; Alice, the wife of H. L. Patterson; Josephine, now Mrs. L.
S. Dane of Portland; Anna, the wife of C. C. Robbins of Portland; Eva, the
deceased wife of G. M. Horn; John, a farmer near his father's home; Henrietta,
the wife of H. C. Githens of Portland; Lillie, now Mrs. E. F. Orr, of Idaho;
Bertie, living at home; Edna, also living at home; and Lulu, living with her
parents.  Mr. Holcomb was a member of the Grange, serving as master of the same.
In politics he always voted for the best man, regardless of party.


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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in February 2008 by Diana Smith.
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.