mcleane
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.
EZRA W. McLEAN, a farmer whose
home adjoins the city of Davenport on the northwest, was born near Lockport,
New York, April 20, 1848. His father, William McLean, was a native
of Scotland, and his mother, Mary (Alderman) McLean, of England.
Ezra McLean is a member of a family originally comprising eighteen children,
most of whom grew to maturity and twelve of whom are living.
In his early life Ezra accompanied his parents
to Fond Du Lac county, Wisconsin, and at the age of seven he left home
and went to Adams county, Wisconsin. There he worked on a farm until
seventeen then returned to Fond Du Lac county, and remained until reaching
his majority when he went to Blue Earth county, Minnesota. In 1871
he went to Cottonwood county, Minnesota, where he was a pioneer homesteader,
being the second to file on land in Delton township, of which township
he was one of the organizers. He followed farming here, and was instrumental
in building the township up to its present status. His first residence
there was a "dugout," and many hardships and vicissitudes were endured.
While a resident of Blue Earth county, November 2, 1876, he was married
to Hattie F. Thomas. Mrs. McLean was born in Blue Earth county, August
23, 1857, and was the daughter of William and Harriet (Wheaton) Thomas,
the former a native of Canada, and a Minnesota pioneer, and the latter
a native of Providence, Rhode Island, and both now deceased. Mrs.
McLean is the only survivor of four children. She can trace her ancestry
back nine generations to Robert Wheaton, who came to Massachusetts about
the year 1630.
Mr. McLean when seventeen had no means, but
a strong physique, which latter fact is attested by his walking forty-five
miles in one day while making a certain journey. He was always a
hard-working man, and in time built up a first class home. In June,
1901, he came to Davenport, Washington, to look over the country, with
which he was so pleased that he purchased his present home, returned to
Minnesota, sold his interests there and brought his family to Davenport
the following spring. He now owns one hundred and forty acres where
he lives, a fine modern house, and all the improvements on his farm that
money and good taste could suggest. He also has four hundred acres
of grain land four miles west of Davenport.
Mr. McLean is a member of the Modern Brotherhood
of America, of Windom, Minnesota, and both he and Mrs. McLean are members
of the Baptist church, of which church at Davenport our subject is a trustee.
The children of Mr. and Mrs. McLean are seven:
Hattie May, wife of Willit G. Parson, at Madelia, Minnesota; William T.,
married to Clara Gowan, Alberta, Canada; Chester W.; Arthur W., married
to Etta Goans, in Coulee City, Washington; Percy R., a graduate from the
Blair Business college, of Spokane; George Ervin; and Frances Ella.
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