"An Illustrated History of Whitman County, state of Washington." San Francisco:
W. H. Lever, 1901.  p. 296.
 
ALEXANDER CANUTT

     The venerable Pacific coast pioneer and Indian war veteran whose name
appears as the caption of this brief biographical outline was born in the state
of Indiana, on the 13th of August, 1822, the town of his nativity being
Indianapolis.  His parents, Henry and Rosana (Fincher) Canutt, had established a
residence there upon his father's firm, being appointed on the governor's staff.
Mr. Canutt's grandfather was a native of Germany, but came to this country in
time to render distinguished service under General Greene in the Revolutionary
war. In this connection it is pertinent to call attention to the fact that
fighting blood has pretty generally manifested itself in this family, our
subject's father having been through the war of 1812, he himself being a veteran
of the Rogue River Indian war, and his son, Enisley, a veteran of the great
Civil conflict.
      Mr. Canutt acquired his education in his native state, of which he
continued to be a resident until nineteen years of age. He then determined to
begin life's battle on his own account, so came out to Iowa. A year later,
however, he returned to his native state, and he was engaged in farming there
until 1852, in which year he set out across the plains toward the setting sun.
The journey was made behind a pair of patient oxen, according to the custom of
those days. Our subject passed his first winter on the coast in Albany, Oregon,
thereafter going to what is now Douglas county, where he secured, by the use of
his donation land claim privileges, the title to a half section of land. He
farmed and raised cattle there until 1872, except during the year 1859, which
was spent in California. In 1872, however, he moved over to Whitman county,
locating on the Snake river at Penawawa, but two years later he returned to
Oregon. In 1879 we find him again located near Penawawa, and soon he was engaged
in raising fruit by irrigation on the Penawawa creek. To him belongs the honor
of having introduced irrigation and fruit raising into that section of the
county, thus giving a start to that splendid enterprise, which has added so much
to the wealth of the section.
     He took a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres, also acquired another
quarter by purchase, and upon this he was actively engaged in stock-raising,
fruit culture and general farm work until 1889, when he moved into Colfax and
retired from other participation in the activities of life than a mere
supervision of his farm. He has borne well his part in the development of the
west, and now is enjoying a well-earned rest. His many sterling qualities of
character are fully appreciated by those who know him, and he is secure in the
esteem of the community in which he now lives and of those in which he formerly
made his home.
     Referring more particularly to his Indian war service, we should say that
he was a member of Company I, Oregon Volunteers, and campaigned for three months
continuously, his captain being W. W. Chapman. He still preserves, as a trophy
of those days, a revolver carried by him during his service.
     In the state of Indiana, on January 5, 1852, our subject married Miss
Sallie, daughter of George Hollingsworth, who located the town of Attica,
Indiana, and of Mary (Cox) Hollingsworth.   They became parents of seven
children: Emsley, who now lives with them, a veteran of the Civil war; Mary,
wife of Harmon S. Conn, of Douglas county; Joseph E., ex-sheriff of Whitman
county; and John L., a farmer in the southern part of the county and an
ex-member of the legislature; also Rosana, Alexander and Enos, deceased.
 

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Submitted to the Washington Biographies Project in January 2010 by Diana Smith.
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.