Buttlesc  
 
 

Transcribed from "History of North Washington, an illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties", published by Western Historical Publishing Co., 1904.


     CHARLES E. BUTTLES, assessor of Chelan county, resides at Wenatchee.  He was born at the Old Bent's Fort, Colorado, December 28, 1864.  His parents, John F. and Sarah A. (Blinn) Buttles, are Ohioans, and now reside at Wenatchee.  The ancestors of John F. Buttles were Revolutionary patriots, and some of them participated in the War of 18l2.  They were of Scotch descent, three brothers of the family having come to this country in the seventeenth century.  The father of our subject, reared in Ohio, went to California in 1852, where he lived six years.  He then returned to Ohio where he married, after which he came west to Colorado and engaged in mining.  He was engaged in several Indian outbreaks, including the Royal River war.  Once while crossing the plains, accompanied by his wife, they were attacked by Indians, and the mother of our subject fought side by side with her husband.
     Charles E. Buttles was reared in Colorado, went to Utah in 1882 and to Oregon in 1886.  His education was secured in Denver, and he was graduated from the academy of Grant's Pass.  In 1891 he came to Palouse City, Washington, where he was employed in a sash and door factory.  For a year subsequently he conducted a cigar store, which business he disposed of in the fall of 1892, and, accompanied by his family, removed to Mullan, Idaho, where he and his father worked in the Morning mine.  In the spring of 1893 they all came to Leavenworth, Washington, and began mining, at first prospecting for coal, which proved unsuccessful.  Abandoning this project, they turned their attention to gold quartz mining, on Nigger creek.  Their prospect is thought to be valuable.  In 1896 our subject entered the employment of George S. Merriam, a general merchant, in Leavenworth, with whom he remained until January 1, 1902, when he came to Wenatchee.  He was employed by Baker & Bethel until March 1, 1903, when he resigned to accept the position of county assessor, to which office he had been elected, on the Republican ticket, in November, 1902.  Mr.  Buttles has one brother, Jay F., now acting as deputy assessor.
     September 1, 1892, our subject was married to Anna Inman.  The ceremony was performed at Moscow, Idaho.  Fraternally Mr. Buttles is a member of Wenatchee Aerie, No. 204, F. 0. Eagles, of which organization he is chaplain, the A. 0. U. W., of Leavenworth, and the I. 0. Foresters.