maltbiep
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.
PERCY G. MALTBIE is one of the
young and prosperous business men of Douglas county. He has been
engaged in various lines as will be noticed by the following and is now
in company with D. O. Friel and his brother, A. M. Maltbie, in the hardware
and furnishing business in Wilsoncreek. They carry a full line of
shelf hardware and furniture, together with house furnishing goods, and
have a thriving trade.
Percy G. Maltbie was born in Allamakee county,
Iowa, on August 12, 1868, being the son of James D. and Achsah (Wright)
Maltbie, natives of New York and Michigan, respectively. The father
served in the Twenty-seventh Iowa Volunteer Infantry, with distinction,
then came west and died at Waterville, Washington. Our subject was
educated in the public schools of Nebraska, finishing in the high school.
In 1886, he moved with his father and family to Washington and settled
near Waterville. He was engaged in farming for some time. In
the spring of 1893 he was elected marshal of Waterville, which position
he held for two years. After this term of office, Mr. Maltbie engaged
in the hardware business with Mr. C. A. Carpenter, where he remained for
a year. He then turned his attention to prospecting near Republic,
continuing the same for one year. After that he returned and in 1898
joined Company D, of the Independent Battalion of the Washington Volunteer
Infantry. He was elected captain of the company, which consisted
of one hundred and five men, mostly from Douglas county, and they were
ordered to Tacoma, where the were mustered into the service. As soon
as enlisted they were sent to Vancouver, where they continued until October
28, 1898, at which time they were mustered out, having been in the service
for five months. If they had gone to the front, they would have been
a part of the Second Washington Volunteer Infantry. Immediately following
his discharge from service, Mr. Maltbie returned to Waterville and opened
a cigar store in company with his brother, A. N. Maltbie. This was
conducted until 1902, when he sold out his interests and moved to Wilsoncreek
and opened a hardware business. His entire establishment was burned
down, but with pluck, he and his partners rebuilt, putting in a larger
store, and are now doing good business.
Mr. Maltbie has two brothers, Albert L., a
merchant in Waterville, and Appleton, county clerk of Douglas county, and
one sister, Mrs. Jennie Sanford, of Okanogan county.
At Vancouver, Washington, on March 29, 1900,
Mr. Maltbie married Miss Elsie, daughter of James P. and Sarah (Mitchell)
Smith, natives of Iowa. To this union was born one child, Fanny A.,
on June 6, 1901, who died at the place of her birth, Waterville, on February
2, 1902. Mrs. Maltbie was born in Dixon county, Nebraska, in 1881,
and died at Vancouver, November 2, 1901. Mr. Maltbie was thus called
to mourn the loss of his entire family with a short time of each other
and he knows something of the sorrows of this world. He was raised
under the influence the Christian church and is still a supporter of this
organization, but is not an active member of any denomination. At
Spokane, on August 10, 1904, Mr. Maltbie married Miss Elfa Harrison.
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