lanet
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.
THERON W. LANE was born near
Kendallville, Iowa, on May 26, 1858, the son of Abraham and Sarah Lane,
natives of Pennsylvania and pioneers to Iowa. There were seven children,
five boys and two girls, in the family. Two of the boys and both
of the girls are now deceased. Theron W. was the oldest of the family
and resides at Bridgeport. W. D., the youngest, resides at Seattle
and is a well known member of the firm of Douglas, Lane & Douglas.
Rev. L. L. is a minister of the gospel at Sisseton, South Dakota.
Our subject spent his early life on the farm and as the father had very
poor health, it required the utmost labors of them all to maintain the
family. After the death of his father, our subject started out in
life for himself, leaving the family and the aged mother to the care of
the younger brothers. After acquiring a fair English education, he
gathered sufficient means to enable him to enter the law department of
the State University of Iowa, whence he graduated on June 22, 1881, receiving
the degree of LL. B. He also received a diploma of admission to the
supreme court in the state of Iowa and the United States district and circuit
courts. In November, 1881, he formed a partnership with Eli Bennett
of Big Stone City, Dakota, which was dissolved in a few months. Mr.
Lane then opened a law office at Wilmot, South Dakota, and was soon elected
district attorney of Roberts county. Owing to the county seat contest,
which was not settled in the courts, the matter was taken to the legislature
and a rider of the bill that established the county seat controversey,
inaugurated Mr. Lane's opponent as prosecuting attorney. Rather than
quarrel, even though he had been wronged, Mr. Lane turned to the west and
arrived at Spokane Falls, in May, 1885. After looking about for some
time, he came to Okanogan, then the county seat of Douglas county.
As the country was very new and no legal business to be done, he entered
a pre-emption and timber culture, one mile east from town. After
that, he went to Walla Walla, where he was joined by his wife and they
journeyed to Weston, Oregon, where they taught school for several months.
Following that, they came to Douglas and taught school and followed various
other enterprises until finally after two years there, Mr. Lane was called
to attend the first case tried in the county, so far as he knows.
It was before Captain Miles, justice of the peace on Badger Mountain.
He also tried a case before J. E. Hetley, justice of the peace, that same
winter. This was the last of the law business for some time, and
in fact Mr. Lane has never engaged in the practice of law for a livelihood,
although he has done thousands of dollars worth of business in the county.
In South Dakota, Mr. Lane married Miss Mary
Miller, a native of Westfield, Wisconsin. To this union, four children
have been born Arthur, aged eighteen; Goldie, aged fifteen; Mabel, aged
eleven, and Lillian, aged two. Mr. Lane, does not seek to engage
in professional life, preferring to reside on his farm to earning his living
by the sweat of his face. Many come to him seeking legal advice and
are never turned away, but he is better satisfied with the quietness of
the agricluturist's career than the stormy life of an attorney.
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