Carey, Charles Henry.  "History of Oregon." Vol. 2. Chicago-Portland: Pioneer
Historical Pub. Co., 1922.  p. 348.
 
WALTER L. TOOZE, JR.

     Walter L. Tooze, Jr., member of the firm of Vinton & Tooze, well known
attorneys of McMinnville, has frequently been called upon for public service in
the line of his profession and is also a leader in political circles in the
state. A native of Oregon and a worthy representative of one of its honored
pioneer families, he was born at Butteville in Marion county, February 24, 1S87,
the eldest son of Walter L. and Sadie A. (Barnes) Tooze, the former born in
Ohio, November 25, 1860, while the latter was a native of Missouri, born January
1, 1868. The father came to Oregon in 1877, when a youth of sixteen years,
settling in Yamhill county, where he engaged in teaching school until 1884. He
then went to Butteville and there followed merchandising until 1887, when he
removed to Woodburn, and was connected with the brokerage business until 1907.
In that year he removed to Falls City, Polk county, engaging in general
merchandising until June, 1910, when he removed to Salem, where he is now
residing, and the mother also survives. He occupies a prominent position in
political circles of Oregon and several times was chairman of the republican
state convention. In 1895 he was a delegate to the national republican
convention at Denver which nominated William McKinley for president and during
the last republican campaign was a member of the state central committee and
special representative in eastern Oregon.  He was state chairman of the Hughes
Alliance and for the past two terms has been reading clerk of the state senate.
He is a noted orator and has canvassed the state in the interests of the
republican party during every political campaign for the past thirty years, thus
aiding greatly in promoting the success of that party. While residing at
Woodburn he served as postmaster under the administrations of Presidents
McKinley and Roosevelt and he is one of the best known men in public life in the
state, his services being most valuable and important.
    His son, Walter L. Tooze, Jr., was reared in Woodburn and there attended the
public schools and for one year was a high school student. He next entered Mount
Angel College, where he spent a year, and during the next two years he was a
student in the Bishop Scott Military Academy at Portland, after which he
attended the Riverview Academy of that city for a year. Desirous of becoming a
member of the legal fraternity, he entered the law department of the University
of Michigan at Ann Arbor, from which he was graduated with the class of 1908.
Immediately following his admission to the bar of Oregon he opened an office in
the Wilson building in Dallas, where he continued in practice until the 8th of
May, 1917, when he enlisted for service in the World war and was sent to the
officers' training camp at the presidio at San Francisco, California. He was
commissioned captain and assigned to the Ninety-first division but was not sent
overseas, receiving his discharge at Camp Grant, Illinois, July 13, 1919, after
twenty-six months of service. Twin brothers of Mr. Tooze, Leslie 0. and Lamar
E., were also members of his division, the former meeting death in the terrific
struggle in the Argonne forest, while the latter is now a student at Harvard.
Mr. Tooze also has one sister surviving, L. Ethel, who is the wife of Walter
Fisher and resides at Roseburg, Oregon. After receiving his discharge from
military service Mr. Tooze spent four months in traveling in various parts
of the United States in behalf of the republican party, and on the 1st of
November, 1919, he formed a law partnership with State Senator W. T. Vinton at
McMinnville, taking the place in the McMinnville firm of McCain & Vinton of the
late James McCain, one of the pioneer attorneys of the state of Oregon, and
during his life-time deemed one of the best practitioners before the bar of this
state. Vinton & Tooze are able attorneys, well informed in all branches of the
law, and have built up a large and representative clientage. Mr. Tooze has been
admitted to practice in Michigan and in the United States supreme court.
     On the 27th of June, 1908, at Somerset, Hillsdale county, Michigan, Mr.
Tooze was united in marriage to Miss Ruth Belden Smith, who was born in Eaton
Rapids, Michigan, on the 1st day of July, 1887. She is a daughter of DeLos and
Harriet (Belden) Smith, both natives of Somerset township, Hillsdale county,
Michigan. The father was born September 10, 1849, and for fourteen years was a
well-to-do and prosperous farmer, passing away at Somerset, November 6, 1908.
Following his demise the mother came to Oregon and is now a resident of Dallas.
The mother is a descendant of Richard Belden, who settled in Connecticut in the
year 1650. Her grandfather, Jeremiah Belden, was a son of Joseph Belden, who
served in the Revolutionary war from 1775 to 1780. Her grandfather took up a
homestead in Hillsdale county, Michigan, in 1835 and from that date until the
death of DeLos Smith this land remained the home of the Belden family. Mrs.
Tooze is the younger of two children born to her parents, her brother being
Floyd Elmer, whose birth occurred November 6, 1880.  To Mr. and Mrs. Tooze has
been born a son, Walter L., (Ill), whose birth occurred on the 9th of October,
1912.
    Mr. Tooze is a stanch republican in his political views and has done
important work in behalf of the party, in whose ranks he is a recognized leader,
as is also his distinguished father. From 1910 to 1918 he served as republican
state committeeman from Polk county and in 1920 was elected state committeeman
from Yamhill county.  He was a member of the republican state campaign executive
committee in 1914, 1916 and 1920. In 1916 he was made the head of the publicity
department in the campaign for Hughes and was elected a delegate to the
republican national convention held at Chicago In July, 1920, receiving a
majority of seven thousand votes over his opponent. He carried sixteen of the
seventeen counties comprised in his district and was pledged under the Oregon
primary law to support Johnson at the convention, which pledge he faithfully
carried out. He was subsequently requested by Will Hays, chairman of the
national campaign committee, to report at Chicago and take part in the campaign
in the east and middle west. He has acquired a reputation as a forceful public
speaker and since 1910 has been active in campaign work. Mr. Tooze has
frequently been called upon for service along the line of his profession and
from 1909 until 1917 was attorney for Polk county in connection with the state
land board.  From 1909 until 1913 he served as city attorney of Dallas, also
filling that position at Palls City from 1909 until 1917 with the exception of
two years, from 1911 until 1913, when he was appointed deputy district attorney
under Gale S. Hill of Albany.  In April, 1921, he was tendered an appointment as
special assistant attorney general of the United States, but declined, owing to
his desire to remain in Oregon, his native state. For eight years he served as a
member of the National Guard, holding every rank up to that of captain. He is a
member of the American Legion and was a delegate to the Minneapolis convention
in 1919 and also attended the convention held at Cleveland, Ohio, in September,
1920. While residing at Dallas he became the organizer of the Commercial Club in
1910, serving as its secretary for four years, and it was owing to his efforts
that the armory was erected at that place. His social nature finds expression in
his membership in the University Club of Tacoma and La Creole Club of Dallas and
he is also identified with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Loyal
Order of Moose, the Knights of Pythias, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows,
the United Artisans, and the Woodmen of the World, while his religious faith is
indicated by his membership in the Methodist Episcopal church. There is no
feature of public life having to do with the welfare and progress of the
community in which he is not deeply and helpfully interested. He is yet a young
man but he has already accomplished much and his ambition and energy will carry
him steadily toward. He has attained an enviable position in professional
circles and in public affairs and McMinnville is fortunate in numbering him
among its citizens.

 
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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in May 2007 by Diana Smith.  Submitter has
no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.