Cagelj
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 F. CAGLE, who resides at
Earl postoffice, has been postmaster there for twelve years. He is
one of the pioneers of this country and has made an excellent record in
his labors here since the days when settlers were scarce and the prairies
were the abode of the coyotes. He was born in Benton county, Tennessee,
on February 22, 1853, the son of John H. and Frances J. Cagle, natives
of South and North Carolina, respectively. The father was a millwright
and moved to Massac county, Illinois and there remained until his death
in 1899, being then aged sixty-five. He was the oldest of a family
of ten children, whose names follow, John H., Henry, William, George, Leonard,
Charles M., Thomas B., David H., Delila, Sallie, and Mary. The last
three are deceased. The mother of our subject is now living in Massac
county aged seventy-seven. John F. is the eldest of seven children,
James A., William J., Jackson, Mrs. Sarah J. Young, Mrs. Tennessee B. Aaron,
and Mrs. Lizzie Warwick. Our subject was nine when the family went
to Massac county and there he gained his education. Later he went
back to Tennessee, then moved to Arkansas, and when twenty-one journeyed
to Missouri. In Cedar county, of that state, on December 9, 1875,
he married Miss Flora, the daughter of Miles and Martha (Hardesty) McMillen,
and a native of Gentry county, Missouri. The father served all through
the Civil War and died in Lincoln county, on March 12, 1891. The
mother died on January 4, 1902. Mrs. Cagle has the following named
brothers and sisters, Mena C., Mrs. Eva Simmons, deceased, Charles E.,
and George A. After marriage, Mr. Cagle removed to Arkansas again
and later returned to Missouri. Mrs. Cagle had been employed in teaching
school previous to her marriage in Missouri. In 1883, Mr. Cagle fitted
out teams and with his wife, and three children started west accompanied
by his wife's people. They intended to go to New Mexico but owing
to various reasons changed their minds and journeyed to the Big Bend country
instead. It was a good choice and the results show they did well.
Five months were consumed in this trip but in due time they reached their
destination and Mr. Cagle selected the place where he now lives and filed
a homestead in November, 1883. Few settler were here then and it
required no small amount of determination to take a family into the wilds.
They were all brave, though, and went to work with a will, which has resulted
in a success to be envied. Mr. Cagle has added to his lands until
he now has fifteen hundred and twenty acres, five hundred of which produce
wheat and the balance is used for pasture. All improvements necessary
to carry on the farm successfully and make it comfortable and attractive
have been added, and Mr. Cagle intends to make this his home for life.
He also has a goodly number of stock and is wealthy. Six children
have been born to bless the home of Mrs. Cagle, named as follows; Laura
D., wife of William Hildreth, of Hillyard, Washington; Luman A., attending
the normal at Cheney; Walter J.; Annie J., and Lester. Mr. Cagle
and his wife are members of the Church of Christ. During the hard
times of 1893 and proximate years, Mr. Cagle spent considerable time in
prospecting in Stevens county, this state, and has some very promising
properties in the Cedar Canyon district. Of late years he has taken
up special studies and is paying close attention now to phrenology, magnetism
and hypnotism, as well as to other of the occult sciences.
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