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

MRS. MARGARET J. POWER, nee Caldwell, Whidby island, Washington, furnishes yet
another instance of the self-reliance of woman and her capacity for those
occupations and commercial transactions hitherto relegated entirely to man.
Since the death of her husband she has had the immediate supervision of a large
stock and grain farm, and has managed with an intelligence and judgment that
would do any of her brother farmers credit. Mrs. Power is not a native of the
United States, but was born at St. John, New Brunswick, February 16, 1820, a
daughter of Joseph and Jane (Clark) Caldwell. Her parents were born, reared and
married in Ireland, and then emigrated to America, settling first in New
Brunswick; thence they removed to Flemingsburg, Kentucky, and afterward to
Burlington, Iowa, there on the frontier Margaret J. grew to womanhood, and was
united in marriage, May 22, 1844, to Isaac B. Power. Mr. Power was born in
Kentucky, April 24, 1812, but in an early day crossed the plains of Indiana and
Illinois to Iowa, where he resided until 1850. After his marriage he lived in
Burlington until their removal to the Pacific coast; he was engaged in civil
engineering and was considered very proficient in this calling. Joining three
other families he and his wife set out on the long and weary journey across the
plains and after seven months of travel arrived at the Dalles in September,
1850. They chanced to meet some United States Government officers from
Vancouver, who hired the new settlers to assist in the erection of some
buildings at Vancouver; the party came down the Columbia river in Government
bateaux to Vancouver, where the men were employed during the winter. In the
spring Mr. Power removed with his family to the Willamette valley, where he left
his wife and children and went to the Rogue river mines; there he spent the
summer, and in the fall moved to Bush prairie, where he resided until 1853. He
was engaged in farming, lumbering and making shingles. His next journey was made
upon a raft and skiff of his own construction. With his family he set sail for
Whidby island, and arriving there took a donation claim of 640 acres on the west
side of Penn's Cove; one night they camped near the present site of Seattle,
when one log cabin was the only evidence of civilization. This was occupied by
Dr. C.H. Maynard; Government troops were encamped on the present site of Port
Townsend. During the first few years of his residence there Mr. Power was
engaged in the great industry of lumbering, and also began to place his land
under cultivation; it was not long before he had those portions best adapted to
grazing well stocked with excellent grades of cattle, and the balance was
yielding abundant harvests of grain. He was one of the first County
Commissioners and held the office until his death, which occurred April 30,
1850. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge, No. 1, of Olympia, and assisted in
its organization. Mr. and Mrs. Power had six children: Joseph O., Josephine,
Isaac N. (a physician of Ellensburg, Washington), Maria A., Henry C. and Martha
S. With the exception of the two elder the children were born and reared upon
the old donation claim. Henry C. Power was born April 10, 1857, on Whidby
island, and there grew to maturity. He was married April 3, 1889, to Fidelia
Newberry, a native of Michigan, born in 1802; she survived but eleven months
after her marriage, and died leaving twin children, Margaret and Marion, who
have been tenderly cared for by their grandmother and aunt. Henry O. Power is
his mother's able assistant, giving her the support and comfort of a dutiful and
capable son.

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.