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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.
JOHN O'NEIL, who resides seven
miles northeast from Hartline, and is one of the leading citizens of Douglas
county, was born in New Brunswick, Canada, in 1844. His parents,
John and Ann O'Neil, were natives of Ireland. The first twenty-seven
years of our subject's life were spent in Canada, where he received a good
education. In 1871 he came to the United States, settling in Chippewa
Falls, Wisconsin, where his cousin lived and where he worked for several
years. In 1875 he came on to Puget Sound, Washington, and labored
variously for six years. Then he journeyed to the Yakima country
and did log driving for a couple of years but finally in 1883, he came
to Douglas county. He immediately located a pre-emption and a timber
culture claim and later took a homestead. To this he added eighty
acres by purchase, making nearly five hundred and sixty acres of choice
land in his estate to-day. It is nearly all in cultivation, is well
improved and skillfully handled. All buildings needed are at hand,
including a modern and commodious dwelling, and everything about the premises
indicates the thrift and enterprise of the owner. Mr. O'Neil passed
all through the hardships and trials incident to the pioneer life of the
west and he has so faithfully continued in his labors that he is one of
the wealthy men of the section to-day and is a respected citizen.
On January 15, 1903, Mr. O'Neill married Miss
Lizzie Cassiday, the daughter of Michael R. and Catherine Cassiday, natives
of Ontario, who are mentioned in another portion of this volume.
Mr. and Mrs. O'Neil are members of the Roman
Catholic church and are very highly respected people. Their settlement
here was cotemporaneous with various others such as Andrew and Charles
E. Flynn, Patrick Kelley, Michael Cassiday, David Wilson, the Schrock brothers
and many more. It is very difficult for one at this time, traveling
through the Big Bend, to picture the conditions of pioneer life.
Fifty and one hundred miles had to be traveled to get mail and provisions;
the country was a barren prairie, dry and uninhabited; fuel had to be obtained
from distant points, hard to be reached; crops were then not nearly so
good as now; and every force of nature seemed to try and drive the settler
out. Notwithstanding all these things, Mr. O'Neil labored along constantly,
never knowing the word fail and his industry, determination, and carefulness
finally brought the success of which he is fully worthy.
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