Kingmanm
Transcribed from "History of North Washington, an illustrated history
of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties", published by Western
Historical Publishing Co., 1904.
MORRISON M. KINGMAN, president
of the Chelan Water Power Company, and a progressive, influential citizen
of his community, resides at Chelan, Chelan county. He was born at
Spirit Lake, Iowa, June 26, 1859, the son of Rosalvo and Agnes J.
(McMillan) Kingman, both natives of Ohio. The father died in 1892.
The mother, who passed away in 1900, was descended from a prominent family,
her grandfather, Major McMillan, of the Ohio State Militia, having been
a prominent Mason and influential citizen of his day.
Our subject was reared principally in Minnesota,
whence the family moved from Iowa, owing to the Sioux Indian War of 1862.
When eighteen years of age he left Minnesota, going thence to the Black
Hills, where he mined until 1883, and then went to Alaska and prospected
in the vicinity of Pyramid Harbor. Subsequently he lived in Wyoming,
Colorado and Montana, engaged in lumbering, and afterward came to Spokane,
Washington, and thence to Davenport, the same state, where he engaged in
contracting and building. Having located some mining claims in Horse
Shoe Basin, he removed to Lake county, Oregon, where he conducted a saw
mill in the vicinity of Silver Lake. It was in 1889 that Mr. Kingman
came to Chelan county, since which period he has prospected industriously
every season. Associated with A. M. Pershall, he located the first
mining claims in the basin. They sold the Blue Devil and Black Warrior
claims in 1890, silver and lead propositions. They have since disposed
of the Davenport. Our subject owns only one claim there at present,
the New Era, in partnership with J. F. Samson. In 1892 he purchased
a saw mill which he conducted eighteen months and disposed of the property
to his brother, Herbert. Our subject organized the Chelan Water Power
Company in October, 1902, having a franchise in Chelan and Lakeside, furnishing
power, light and water. He laid out and platted West Chelan in the
spring of 1902, and owns a home in the same addition, which offers a fine
view of the lake. Mr. Kingman has one brother living, Herbert, a
sketch of whom appears elsewhere.
In November, 1891, at Waterville, Washington,
our subject was married to Ellen Utterback, a native of Iowa. Her
father, William E., was born in Indiana and resides in Iowa. Her
mother, Caroline (McPherson) Utterback, was born in Tennessee, but at present
resides in Iowa. Mrs. Kingman has two brothers and three sisters:
William and Mellville, farmers in Iowa; Allie, wife of John Davis, of Weeping
Water, Nebraska; May, wife of Lloyd N. Pershall, elsewhere mentioned; and
Ida, wife of Fred Goodfellow, a farmer residing near Ashland, Nebraska.
She is the mother of three children, Alice Marie, Forrest R., and William
Kenneth. Mr. Kingman is a member of Chelan Lodge No. 97, K. of P.,
and politically, a Democrat. His wife is a member of the Methodist
Episcopal church.