Hairo
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.
OLE S. HAIR has resided in Davenport
for a number of years and owns considerable property here at the present
time. He also operates the Granite saloon and is well known throughout
the county. He was born in Thorndhjem, Norway, the son of Simon and
Martin (Nilson) Hair, natives of Norway. The family is one of the
old and prominent ones, dating its history back for four hundred years.
The members of the family are all long lived. The grandfather lived
to be one hundred and eighteen. Some of them own vessels on the sea
and others follow various industries. Our subject was one of five
children, Caroline, Sophie, Annie, Matilda, and Ole S. His education
was secured in his native place and at the age of fifteen, he started to
work for himself. He learned shoe making and followed that trade
until nineteen, then came to America in 1880. He wrought in Minnesota
for two years, then went to Winnipeg and did railroading for four years
and later we find him in Port Arthur, Ontario, where he started a saloon.
In 1889, he was in Tacoma, later in Sandpoint and finally, about 1892,
he came to Davenport which has been his home place since. He bought
a saloon and has operated it until the present. Mr. Hair owns various
city property, among which is a brick block where he conducts his business,
and a tree claim which has two million feet of fine pine timber.
It is in Klickitat county. He also has considerable mining property,
which is considered very good.
In political matters he takes a keen and active
part. Fraternally, he is a member of the F. A. and in 1899 was appointed
deputy grand chief ranger, having been appointed twice since. He
also belongs to the Red Men, having passed the chairs in that lodge.
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