Wilderh
Transcribed from "History of North Washington, an illustrated history
of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties", published by Western
Historical Publishing Co., 1904.
HIRAM A. WILDER, who resides
eleven miles north from Conconully at the Northland gold and copper mines,
is deputy sheriff of Okanogan county. He was born on December 9,
1867, in Rice county, Minnesota, the son of Hiram K. and Jerusia M. (Ripley)
Wilder, natives of New York and Ohio, respectively. The father was
a pioneer in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota and dwelt on the frontier
when he had to go one hundred miles to market. He enlisted in the
Thirty-seventh Minnesota Volunteers in March, 1862, as a private, and was
promoted to captain of his company before his discharge. He served
in the south, and later under General Sibley in subduing the Sioux Indians
in Minnesota. The mother is a descendant of the Cushmans, who landed
at Plymouth Rock in 1620. Her grandfather was general Joseph Ripley,
a patriot in the Revolution. In May 1870, the parents crossed the
plains with ox teams to California and thence to Albany, Oregon.
In 1872, they came to Walla Walla, our subject walking and driving a band
of cattle all the way. Settlement was made where Milton now stands,
and they own a large property in that state. At the age of sixteen
our subject began his career as cowboy, and in 1878 fought all through
the Bannock Indian war. On one occasion he was with one hundred and
fifty cowboys who held at bay five hundred Indians, nineteen of the cowboys
being killed and our subject receiving two bullet wounds in the calf of
the leg. In 1880 he went to Healdsburg College, California, and worked
his way through, graduating in 1885. He was class orator at the commencement
and completed his course with honor. Returning to Pendleton, Mr.
Wilder was the principal of the Pendleton academy and commercial college
for two years, then taught in the Milton academy. Later he farmed
in the Cold Springs district and failed on account of the drouth.
In 1889 we find him engaged in the real estate business in Spokane where
he did well until the panic, then lost heavily. After this he went
to Davenport, and in a wrestling match lost his right eye. About
the time that he came to Spokane, Mr. Wilder was a lecturer for the Religious
Liberty Association of Washington, D. C., and spoke every night, besides
three times on Sunday, from May until December, arguing that church and
state should be separate. In 1891 Mr. Wilder came to the Okanogan
country and took charge of the Peacock mines for some Spokane people.
One year later he called the first meeting of the Populists, organized
a party, and stumped the county. In 1894, Mr. Wilder visited his
people in Oregon, and took charge of the Elk City placer on the John Day,
and also of other mining work in that section. He is now the largest
stockholder in the Northland Gold and Copper Mining Company, the other
shareholders living in Walla Walla. Mr. F. S. Dement is president,
J. C. Hockett, vice-president, and C. M. Rader, secretary and treasurer.
They have over one thousand feet of shaft and tunneling, and the property
will soon be a divided payer. Mr. Wilder has been deputy assessor
twice, in addition to holding other offices. He is a member of the
W. W., and the Eagles.
On June 14, 1893, Mr. Wilder married Miss
Mary B., daughter of Layton S. and Helen (Snyder) Baldwin, natives of New
York. The father was captain all through the Civil War, and is now
deputy mining surveyor of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, and lives at Boise.
The mother is a descendant of old Puritan stock, and came with her husband
across the plains twenty-five years ago. Mr. and Mrs. Wilder have
three children, Helen E., born in July, 1898; Jermaine E., born July 17,
1900; and Dorothy L., born September 28, 1902. Mr. Wilder is a stanch
Democrat, and has been chairman of the county central committee several
times. He was a delegate to the national state Democratic convention
held at Spokane in 1900. He is a prominent man of good standing in
the county.