Cuddebackp
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.
PETER W. CUDDEBACK, who is now
one of the industrious and substantial farmers of the Big Bend country,
was born in Illinois, on February 24, 1843. His parents were John
and Sarah (Richardson) Cuddeback, natives of New York and Ohio, respectively.
The father was occupied in boating on the canal in early life, then married
and came to Illinois, where he settled down to farming. Our subject
received his educational training in the common schools of his native state
and in 1861 came across the plains with his parents to California.
For some time after arriving in the Golden State, he was occupied in training
wild horses, but later turned his attention to freighting and farming.
Thus he was engaged until 1879, when he came overland to Walla Walla.
In the fall of that year he was in Spokane and the following year he came
to what is now Lincoln county. This was in the spring of 1880.
He selected land where his estate is now situated, about three miles southwest
from Creston, and took it as a homestead. No settlers were in his
immediate vicinity and but few were in the bounds of the present county.
The came fast that year and the following and soon the signs of civilization
sprang up on every hand. Mr. Cuddeback labored assiduously putting
forth every effort to build a home in the wilds of the west. His
capital consisted of three cayuses, a wagon, and his own indomitable pluck,
backed by a good stock of energy. Each year he made pilgrimages either
to the Palouse country or to Walla Walla during the harvest seasons and
there wrought for funds to assist in buying the supplies for the balance
of the year and to improve his farm. Soon he began to harvest crops
from his own land and then the battle became easier, and he soon gained
a comfortable competence. In addition to building up his farm, Mr. Cuddeback
has always labored faithfully for all measures which were a real benefit
for the country. He has shown himself a man of progress, ever allied
with the moving interests of the county and a real champion of good schools,
excellent roads, and substantial government. It is of interest to
note that Mr. Cuddeback hauled the lumber which was used in the construction
of the first house in Davenport, the same being sawed at Silver Lake.
BACK