mcleanw
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.
WILLIAM McLEAN, a wealthy and
properous stockman, who lives eight miles south from Bridgeport, was born
in Huntington county, Quebec, on June 2, 1861. His father, Alexander
M., was born in Iverness shire, Scotland, and was an early settler in Canada.
He had served in the British Cavalry during the Canadian Rebellion.
The mother was Jennett (McNaughton) McLean, a native of Scotland.
In his home country, our subject received his education in the common schools.
In 1882, he came to the United States, first settling at Dallas, Texas.
He was at Fort Worth and Galveston, then returned to Canada. In 1883,
he started to California and stopped at Bodie, where he engaged in the
Syndicate mines for one and one-half years. After that he was in
other mines and mills until 1886, when he came to Washington, settling
first at Waverly. The next year he came on to Douglas county and
in 1888, he took a timber culture where he now lives. He has added
since by purchase until he has an estate of seven hundred and twenty acres,
which is devoted to grain. In the winter of 1889-90, he lost what
stock he had and after that began to raise graded animals. He has
some very fine Hereford cattle, a large band of them, and gives his entire
attention to breeding stock and raising grain. In the spring of 1897,
Mr. McLean went into the mercantile business at Bridgeport with Herman
Cornell, conducting a general store for two years, then our subject sold
to B. Valentine and returned to his ranch where he has continued since.
Mr. McLean has the following brothers and sisters, Lauchlan, Mrs. Agnes
Stewart, Mrs. J. McBain, Jennie and John. The latter died on the
farm in 1893.
At Spokane, on December 13, 1899, Mr. McLean
married Miss Grace M., daughter of Franklin B. and Marie S. (Bonner) Nixon,
natives of Michigan and New York, respectively, and now dwelling at The
Dalles, Oregon. Mrs. McLean was born in Adrian, Michigan, in May,
1863, and has two brothers, Frank L. and William E., and one sister, Miss
Josephine Nixon. To Mr. and Mrs. McLean, three children have been
born: Franklin A., on the farm, on December 17, 1900; Walter W., on the
farm, on March 11, 1902; Robert B., on the farm, November 4, 1903.
Mr. McLean is a member of the I. O. O. F.
and was raised in the influence of the old school Presbyterian church.
In 1896 he took an extended trip on a visit to his old home place and friends
and relatives there. He is wide awake to the resources of the country
and the progress of the state in general and stands well where he is known.
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