Hoffmanc
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.
CHARLES HOFFMAN has won a success
in the Big Bend country of which he may justly be proud. He is to
be classed as one of the pioneers of this section, as well as many other
portions of the west, and the real pioneer spirit has been manifested in
him during these days of labor and self denial. Intimately acquainted
with mining in the well known camps, being associated there in the days
when much lawlessness existed, Mr. Hoffman has seen much of the hard side
of mining life.
Preferring the quieter life of the farm, he
turned to that occupation and has worked with gratifying success which
will be mentioned hereafter.
Charles Hoffman was born in Saxony, Germany,
on January 14, 1846. His father, Charles Hoffman was a butcher and
was born in Saxony where also he died. The mother, Teresa (Leudhoff)
Hoffman, was a native of the same country and died when our subject was
born. Charles received a fine education in the schools of Germany
during eight successive years, under the best of training, then was accepted
as a reserve in the army but was never called into the service. In
1873, he started from Hamburg to New York and went thence to St. Louis,
where he followed butchering for a year and half. Next we see him
in Denver, Colorado, in the same business, then he went to the mining districts
of Colorado and the adjacent territories, and was especially acquainted
in Leadville in the early days of its excitement. Then he started
for the Coeur d' Alene country, but owing to the heavy fall of snow, had
to stop at Thompson Falls. There he followed butchering for three
months then came on through to Washington. As Sprague was the more
lively and promising of the two towns of Spokane and Sprague, he located
there and opened a butcher shop. Two years later, he sold out his
shop and bought a place where he now resides, eight miles northwest from
town. Then he gave himself to stock raising and finding the hills
productive of wheat, turned his attention to that and thus he has continued
since.
At Denver, Colorado, in 1875, Mr. Hoffmen
married Miss Aggie, daughter of David and Edith Schaufler, natives of Germany,
where they remained until their death. To Mr. and Mrs. Hoffman the
following children have been born; Edward, deceased; Albert, living in
Portland, Oregon; Rose Miller, in Lincoln county; Carl, Anna, Marie, George,
Frank and Walter, all at home and Maudie, deceased. Their home is
a nice two story, nine room residence provided with all modern conveniences.
It is situated in Crab Creek valley, in beautifully laid out grounds, surrounded
by handsome shade trees and fine orchards. Mr. Hoffman has provided
a fine waterworks system which brings water to every portion of the house
and grounds of the lawn. He has a fine windmill and pump house surrounded
by a fine orchard. He owns eight hundred acres of land together with
a lease of four hundred and eighty acres of school land. He raises
many thousands of bushels of wheat each year in addition to handling considerable
stock. At the present time he has some well bred cattle and a good
band of horses. The place is provided with all machinery, buildings
and other improvements that are needed on a first class farm and Mr. Hoffman
is to be commended upon the magnificent success that he has won.
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