Transcribed from "An Illustrated History of The
Big Bend Country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams and Franklin counties,
State of Washington", published by Western Historical Publishing
Co., 1904.
ROBERT EARL is one of Lincoln
county's retired farmers who has well earned the enjoyment he is now taking
through years of labor previously. He resides just south of Earl
postoffice where he has a nice estate well improved.
Robert Earl was born
in Illinois, on April 30, 1835, the son of Joseph and Margaret (Gibson)
Earl, natives of England and Ohio, respectively. The father came
to the United States when a boy and settled in Ohio where he was married.
Later, he moved to Illinois where our subject remained, being the youngest
of twelve children, three of whom are living. The other two are Joseph,
and Mrs. Ellen Vaughn. In the spring of 1845, his father prepared
conveyances and started across the plains to the Pacific coast. In
Des Moines, Iowa, he was taken sick and ten days later died. The
eldest son of the children then took charge of the teams and brought the
mother and the balance of the family with a train of one hundred wagons
to The Dalles, Oregon, then they journeyed down the Columbia in canoes
and wintered near Portland. In the spring of 1846, they went to what
is now Linn county, Oregon, the mother being the first white woman to cross
the Santiam river. She died in April, 1850. Our subject followed
various occupations in the Williamette valley and also did considerable
mining. In 1849, he and three brothers went to California and so
often did he travel the road between the Williamette valley and California
that he could borrow a sack of flour from any of the residents along the
way, they knew him so well.
On October 16, 1852,
Mr. Earl married Miss Lourena Powell, a native of Illinois. Her parents,
Elder John A. and Savillia (Smith) Powell, were prominent church workers,
the father being a minister of the Christian church for years. Mrs.
Earl is the seventh of a family of ten children. Those living are
named as follows: Franklin S., Steuben F., Henry C., and Mrs. Mary Propst.
All are members of the Christian church. Mrs. Earl came with her
parents to Linn county, Oregon, in 1851, making the journey across the
plains with ox teams. The parents remained in the valley until their
death. Mrs. Earl made nearly the entire trip across the plains on
horseback. In the fall of 1879, Mr. Earl went to the Rogue river
country and later to California where he assisted to plant fifteen hundred
acres to crops. In the fall of 1882, he came with teams overland
to Lincoln county, settling on a homestead. Very few people were
in the territory now embraced in Lincoln county at that time and
Mr. Earl knows well what it is to follow the life of the pioneer.
With two sons, he at once began farming and the three now own a section
of land. A good portion of the land is under cultivation and producing
wheat. Mr. Earl has fine horses, plenty of water and a beautiful
grove of shade trees and other improvements. To Mr. and Mrs. Earl
the following named children have been born; Savilla, wife of L. L. Cooley,
living near Tekoa, Washington; Altha J., wife of John Pope of California;
Annetta, deceased; Lydia A., wife of Edgar Wells of California; Minnie
R., wife of Charles L. Hotaling; William M.; Henry W., deceased; Joseph
L. of Low, Idaho; and Earnest L.
Mr. Earl established
the Earl postoffice in 1887 and was himself the postmaster for a good many
years. He has been prominent in educational work and his name is
given to the district, postoffice and voting precinct. In political
matters, he has always been active, being allied with the Republican party.
He and his wife are devout members of the Christian church and are upright
people. In the fall of 1903, they took an extended trip through Oregon
and especially in the Willamette valley where they had not been for twenty-four
years.