An Illustrated History of the State of Washington, by Rev. H.K. Hines, D.D., The Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, IL., 1893, page 446 DE WITT CLINTON MACEY, Sheriff of Klickitat county, Washington, has been identified with the history of his county since 1879, at which time his residence in the State began. He was born at Georgetown, Vermilion county, Illinois, April 10, 1844, a son of John and Alice (Mills) Macey, natives of Tennessee. The father was of English extraction and Quaker stock, his first ancestors in this country having settled on Nantucket island. The parents were reared and married near their birth-place, and early in the ë40s they removed to Illinois. In 1853 they crossed the plains to Oregon, their route during the first stages of the journey being the north side of the Platte river. They crossed the Snake river below Salmon Falls, proceeding to Boise river, down which they traveled until they reached the Snake river again; they crossed to the south bank at Fort Boise, and thence proceeded overland to Burnt and Powder rivers, reaching Grande Ronde valley, where they took the Barlow route to Oregon, arriving in Linn county in the month of October. They located on a homestead about ten miles from Harrisburg. In 1876 Mr. Macey sold this place, and removed with his live-stock to the Ocheco country, where he passed the remainder of his life, his death occurring February 3, 1877. The mother survives, and is a resident of Eugene, Lane county, Oregon. Young Macey assisted his father on the farm and in the blacksmith shop, and managed to acquire a fair English education. When the gold excitement of 1862 was at its height he went to the Florence mines, one of the "strikes" of the Salmon river country. In the fall of time same year he joined a prospecting company that struck Warren's diggings on the south side of the Salmon river; here Mr. Macey took a claim from which he realized from $20 to $40 a day. After a year spent in mining he went to Walla Walla, and engaged in freighting from the Wallula and Umatilla to all mining points east and south, and during one summer he freighted to Colville. At the expiration of four years he returned to Oregon, and resided on the old homestead until his marriage in 1870. After this event he became associated with Dr. Simpson, whose immense ranch, eight miles east of Harrisburg, he conducted for eight years. In the autumn of 1879 he came to Washington and settled in the Alder creek country in Klickitat county. He took a homestead near Cleveland, where he has since resided, excepting the time spent at the county seat when in the discharge of official duties. Mr. Macey was married in Linn county, Oregon, August 12, 1870, to Miss Mary A. Dinwiddie, who was born in Linn county, Oregon, a daughter of David Dinwiddie, one of the pioneers of the State. Mr. and Mrs. Macey are the parents of six children: Ivan, Roy, Charles, Leanor, Luretta and Thornton. Although Mr. Macey has always been an ardent supporter of Republican principles he did not actively enter into political life until 1892, when he was the candidate of his party for Sheriff of Klickitat county, running against an opponent admitted by both parties to be a strong candidate. His success was, under time circumstances, a double victory. He assumed the duties of the office January 9, 1893. A man of superior business qualifications and sound judgment, a prompt dispatch of time affairs of the office was assured. Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in October 2003 by Jeffrey L. Elmer * * * * Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies Project. Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the individual featured in the biographies.