greenea
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.
ALBERT T. GREENE has probably been
more intimately associated with Waterville and its immediate vicinity than
any other man now residing here. He owns a half section of land northwest
of the town and in addition to doing general farming and stock raising,
he has been considerably interested in handling real estate, being now
one of the prominent men of the county.
Albert T. Greene was born in Tremont, Illinois,
on March 15, 1854. While still an infant, he went to New Hampshire
with his mother and there received his education from the public schools.
When thirteen he began the carpenter trade and later studied law, not,
however, with the intention of practicing. In the fall of 1878 he
came to the Pacific coast via the Isthmus and after some time spent in
the vicinity of Santa Barbara, California, came to the Willamette valley,
Oregon. After three years of carpentry and farm work there, he came
to the Big Bend, then on through to Clark's Fork, Idaho. Returning
to Davenport, he did carpenter work until March 23, 1885, when he came
to where Waterville now stands and purchased a squatter's right from Stephen
Boyce. The idea of founding a town in the west had been a picture
in the mind of Mr. Greene from his boyhood days and when by act of legislature,
Douglas county was formed, he saw the opportunity. The county seat
was located at Okanogan, some six miles east of Waterville, but it was
unsatisfactory on account of lack of water. So Mr. Greene in company
with J. M. Snow, laid out a town site of forty acres of the former's farm.
Mr. Greene had a very excellent well from which many people hauled water
for miles in every direction and it seemed very appropriate to call the
place Waterville. In 1886, the new town entered the race for the
county seat and after a hot contest, it was awarded the prize. A
small wooden structure had been built in Waterville to which the county
records were moved and the rent of which Mr. J. M. Snow paid for two years.
Later Mr. Greene devoted a site and building for the county court house.
In due time, he acquired title to the other one hundred and twenty of his
quarter section and later gained a half section northwest from Waterville,
where he lives at the present time. During the panic of 1893, Mr.
Greene suffered heavy financial loss but was enabled to retain his land
and is now again one of the prosperous men of the section. He has
always been very active in building up the country and especially laboring
for better educational facilities. He is president of the board at Waterville
and a live supporter of good schools.
On November 6, 1886, near Davenport, Mr. Greene
married Miss Florence A., daughter of George P. and Sarah J. (Dotson) Turner,
and to them one child, Albert D., has been born. Mrs. Greene was
born in Lucas county, Iowa. Her father was a native of London, England,
and her mother of Pennsylvania. The mother now lives at Davenport,
Washington, the father having died in 1894. Mr. Greene is a member
of the I. O. O. F., having passed all the chairs in that order. On
January 30, 1898, Mrs. Greene was called away by death.
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