Biography - Samuel Burnaugh
SAMUEL BURNAUGH.- A well known and representative pioneer and loyal
citizen of Union county is named at the head of this article, and we are
assured that any compilation that has to do with the history of the county
should not fail to give mention of his career since he has labored on the
frontier for many years and has accomplished a good success, ever
maintaining an attitude of faithfulness, and being active for the
advancement of the county, while he has gained an enviable success in the
enterprises of private business that he has pursued that has given him a
goodly holding of property in the county, being also a leading citizen and
prominent man at the present time.
Samuel L. was born in Clermont county, Ohio, on January 12, 1844, being the
son of Joseph and Lydia Black, who removed from that locality to Illinois in
1845, being occupied with farming in Knox county until 1859 when they
removed to Iowa, settling in Wapello county. There also they became tillers
of the soil but in Knox county, Illinois, on December 8, 1859, the mother
was called to leave the scenes of this life and go to the world beyond. The
father remained in Iowa until the time of his death in 1877, being buried
there. Our subject remained with his father until 1864, then came overland
with ox teams to Union County, stopping in the vicinity of the Cove, whence
in the following spring he went to Eagle creek and followed mining for a few
months, then repaired to Walla Walla and there for one and one-half of years
he was employed in a sawmill. Following this period he went to Grant county,
where he mined until 1872, then went back to Iowa to visit his father,
returning to Union County in six months from that time. Here he took up
freighting until 1875, then rented a farm near the Cove, and in August 1876,
bought a half-section where he now lives, from the state. His estate is
situated two and one-half miles southeast from Elgin and is now six hundred
and eighty acres.
On October 6, 1875, Mr Burnaugh married Miss Susan E. Jasper, daughter of
Merrill Jasper, of the Cove. Five children were born of this union, Samuel,
Dora F., Joseph M., Andrew J. and George, deceased and buried in the
Summerville cemetery. Mrs. Burnaugh was called from her family by death on
September 10, 1885 and her remains sleep in the Summerville cemetery. She
was twenty-seven years of age at the time of her death. Her parents came to
Oregon in the early day, living first in the Williamette valley, whence they
removed to this county.
Mr. Burnaugh married a second time on November 7, 1894, in Union county, the
lady of his choice at this occasion being Mary S. Patten, daughter of
William and Elizabeth (Young) Patten, and one child has been born to them,
Nellie E. Mrs. Burnaugh's parents were married in Oregon City, being early
pioneers to this state and coming to Union county in 1863. Mr. Burnaugh is a
member of the Elgin Lodge No. 73. K.P. He is an esteemed citizen of this
county and has maintained an unsullied reputation during all of his worthy
labors.
Contributed by Todd Walter, extracted from the 1904 Illustrated History of Union and Wallowa Counties, Oregon, pages 372-373.
