Reaj
Transcribed from "History of North Washington, an illustrated history
of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties", published by Western
Historical Publishing Co., 1904.
JAMES REA resides one mile southeast
of Wenatchee, Chelan county, where he is engaged successfully in fruit
growing. He is a native Oregonian, having been born at Auburn Baker
county, June 15, 1865. His father, James M. Rea, crossed the plains
in 1849 to California, and in 1862 went to Baker City, Oregon, where he
engaged in mining on Griffin's Gulch. He remained in this vicinity
until his death, April 4, 1901. The mother, Mary M. (Ridgeway) Rea,
is a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and at present resides at Baker
City.
With the exception of four years passed in
Idaho, our subject lived in the place of his nativity, where he teamed,
attended public school and high school, conducted a stage line from Baker
City to Baizley, the Elkhorn mines and other points, until the fall of
1892, when he came to Wenatchee. Here he engaged in farming and teaming
and in 1900 purchased his present home. He had taken up eighty acres
of land, which, in 1894, he sold, owing to a mineral contest, gold having
been found in this locality.
Our subject has three brothers and two sisters
living, Frank, George and Edward, at Baker City, or its immediate vicinity,
Jennie, wife of William Crouter, a Baker county mining man, and Josephine,
single, a student and teacher of music, Kansas City, Missouri.
At Baker City, Oregon, December 18, 1898,
Mr. Rea was married to Dora Wheeler, daughter of Peter and Alethia Wheeler,
mentioned in another portion of this work. They have two children,
Evelyn and Willie.
Politically independent is Mr. Rea, and at
present he holds the office of road supervisor.