An Illustrated History of the State of Washington, by Rev. H.K. Hines, D.D., The
Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. 1893

JOHN M. IZETT, of Oak Harbor, Island county, Washington, was born December 5,
1831, being a native of Limekilns, Fifeshire, Scotland, and the son of George
and Harriet (May) Izett, who also were natives of the land of Bruce and Burns.
George Izett was born in 1797, and she who became his wife was born in 1799.
They lived the most of their lifetime in Fifeshire, but removed to Granton,
within five miles of Edinburgh, while our subject was in this country. To them
eleven children were born, and all lived to maturity. Six of the number are
still living in Scotland, John M. being the only one of the family in America.
When he attained the age of thirteen years he commenced an apprenticeship as
ship carpenter, under the direction of his father, who was a master mechanic and
foreman ship builder, and in the employ of one firm in Scotland for a period of
twenty-five years. John M. worked for this firm until he was eighteen years of
age, and then shipped as carpenter on the Orbona, bound for India. For about
twenty months he cruised about the Indian ocean, the boat putting in at various
mainland and island ports. After an absence of two years he returned to London,
England, and in January, 1852, he again went to sea as carpenter on the bark
Moulton. After being out for five months, he landed in San Francisco, in 1852.
Here he left the ship and for two years followed his trade in California. In
1854 he came to Puget Sound and engaged as foreman in getting out piles, square
timbers and spars for the firm of Thompson, Campbell & Grennan, of Utsaladdy.
However, prior to this, he had started for the firm mentioned a logging camp
where Utsaladdy now stands, and another on the long point of Whidby island, the
former being the first camp on Camano island. The firm underwent a change in
membership in 1855, the title becoming Grennan & Cranney. They contracted with
French government officials to get out spars for vessels, the same being
eight-square and ready for finishing. Mr. Izett was placed in charge of this
work, being first required, however, to pass an examination as spar inspector,
said examination being conducted before the government officials stationed at
San Francisco. He was thus employed until 1857, when he went to San Francisco
with L. Grennan, who purchased expensive machinery for the Utsaladdy mills. In
coming up with the machinery, on board the steamship Constitution (Hunt &
Scranton owners and mail contractors), the vessel sprung a leak, and in order to
save the passengers, all the cargo, including Mr. Izett's stock of goods and
Grennan & Cranney's machinery, was thrown overboard. The pumps finally refused
to work and Mr. Izett manufactured one from an eight-inch copper. This provision
kept the vessel afloat. The unfortunate trip left Mr. Izett with no financial
resources, as he had invested his entire capital in this venture in dry goods.
He had arranged to transfer the stock to Shroder Suttler, of the post at Port
Townsend, for a consideration representing nearly double the amount invested. He
held no insurance indemnity on the stock, which entailed an entire loss of the
property. After arriving in the port the vessel was repaired and came to the
Sound in charge of Captain Hunt and the well-known John Scranton as purser,
carrying the mail from Olympia to Victoria. There were on board, including
passengers and crew, eighty individuals. Of this entire number there survive, so
far as Mr. Izett is able to learn, only two, the second being Dr. N.D. Hill, of
Port Townsend. Mr. Izett took an express contract and went to Portland, Oregon.
His return trip was made overland and by canoes along the inland water-courses.
He rode from Monticello to Olympia, thence to Steilacoom in canoes, and then
hired Indians to bring him to Seattle, and thence to Skagit head, on Whidby
island. Here he met friends, John Gould and Mr. Hall, from Tulalip, who had been
driven from their homes by the Puyallup Indians. He remained in this place until
the trouble with the Indians had abated, and then went to Penn's Cove. On this
journey, which represented iris first and only experience as express carrier, he
carried $5,200 in gold coin for C.C. Ferry; $2,500 for Yesler and Dr.
Williamson, of Seattle; $l,500 for Lonison & Co., of Olympia, and $1,200 for Mr.
Cranney, to whom reference has hitherto been made. He secured a contract and
joined with Grennan & Cranney in loading the bark Palmetto with spars, which
were thus transported to China. In 1859, Mr. Izett modeled a miniature vessel
(which model he still retains) and built a sixty-four-ton register schooner,
known as the Growler, for Captain Ed. Barrington; also sparred the schooner
Leah, for Captain John Robertson, and assisted in ship-building for a number of
years. In the meanwhile he had retained possession of his farm on Whidby island,
near Crescent Harbor, and, in 1857, he took up his residence there. He laid out
two steamers for the Columbia river trade, finished one, the Cascade, complete.
The boat has been re-christened and is now known as the Dixie Thompson. The
other vessel was framed and carried to Portland on the Cascade, and was put
together there. He also contracted for and caulked the steamer J.B. Libbey, and
sparred the schooner Alaska, and did the work on several other boats, in the
line of sparring, caulking and putting in pumps. He finally resigned his work at
ship-building and devoted his time to his farm until 1873, when, just after
completing his harvest he had the misfortune of having his barn and granary,
with all of his grain and hay (a two-years crop), and all his tools and
machinery, totally destroyed by fire. He then left a man in charge at the farm,
where his wife and family also remained, and accepted a position as Government
Customs Inspector, to succeed A.B. Young, of San Juan island, just after it had
been acquired from the British. He retained this position for a short time and
was then given charge of the sloop Messenger; and acted as cruising Inspector,
doing cutter duty about the Sound until 1873, when he resigned and once more
returned to his farm home, devoting himself to agricultural pursuits until 1879,
when he was offered and accepted his old position on Sun Juan island, as
Inspector, with increased salary. In 1882 he was made Deputy Collector and
opened the sub-port of entry at Friday Harbor; the office was eventually moved
to Roche Harbor, on San Juan, the original selection made by Congress. He held
this position until the 1st of March, 1887, when he again resigned and returned
to his home and commenced farming, on an extensive scale, with his second son,
W.F. Izett. In addition to his own farm of 160 acres, they have rented two
others, John Gould's farm of 320 acres, and has at the present time the largest
grain and stock farm on the island. They have a number of imported cattle, sheep
and hogs, and take great pride in raising fine trotting horses. They have the
only dairy on the island, have their own separator and other improved
equipments, and conduct the flourishing enterprise under the firm name of John
M. Izett & Son, the dairy being designated as the Crescent Creamery of Island
County. Mr. Izett has served as County Commissioner for one term of three years,
and as Justice of the Peace for many years, and a Notary Public ten years. He is
a member of Mount Baker Lodge, I.O.O.F., of Port Townsend; a charter member of
Glenwood Lodge, No. 27, I.O.O.F., of Coupeville, being Past Grand Master. He is
also a member of the Pioneer Association. Mr. Izett was married July 4, 1858, on
Whidby Island, to Nancy M. Findley, born January 22, 1837, in Henderson county,
Illinois, daughter of David Finley, who was born in 1807 and died in 1880. Her
mother, whose maiden name was Jane Ritchie, is a native of Indiana, where she
was born in 1813. Mr. and Mrs. Findley were married in Illinois in 1830, and, in
1847, crossed the plains to Oregon and located on a claim five miles from Oregon
City, where they lived until the death of Mr. Findley. The mother then sold the
farm and now resides with her daughter, Mrs. Izett. Although well advanced in
years, Mrs. Findley is still quite active, and has made several trips to Oregon
and California within the past few years. She and her husband were with Dr.
Whitman the day previous to his massacre. Her parents were James and Elizabeth
(Macon) Ritchie, the former being born in 1790, and the latter in 1793. They
were married in Pennsylvania, in 1821, and removed to Indiana, and in 1829 to
Illinois, where they died. Mr. and Mrs. Izett had five children: Jean E. Izett
died at the age of twenty-one years; George M. is married and a resident of
Seattle; William F.; Henrietta and James are at home on the farm.

Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in January 2004 by Jeffrey L. Elmer

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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.