Melchera
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.
HON. AUGUSTUS S. MELCHER,
who resides about five miles southeast from Edwall, was born in Greene
county, New York, on January 6, 1853. His parents, Christopher H.
and Sophia (Horning) Melcher, are both deceased. The father was born
in Hanover, Germany, on January 27, 1823, came to the United States in
1843, and died on January 12, 1897, in Wisconsin. The mother was
born in Baden, Germany, in July, 1830 and died in Wisconsin, in 1894.
The common schools of his native place furnished the primary educational
training for our subject and then he completed with honors a high school
course. Immediately upon his graduation, Mr. Melcher went to teaching
and in Wisconsin and Oregon, as well as in Washington, he was faithful
for years in the instruction of the young. It was 1877 that he landed
in Oregon and in 1882 he made his way to Lincoln county, Washington, where
he took a homestead and devoted the winters to teaching and the summers
to improving his farm. In 1892, he was nominated on the Republican
ticket for superintendent of schools in his county but was defeated by
H. N. Martin. But in the fall of 1904, his name appeared on the Republican
ticket again, this time for representative of Lincoln county in the state
legislature. He scored a good majority, is a popular man, and will
doubtless make an efficient officer.
At Portland, Oregon, on March 10, 1879, Mr.
Melcher married Miss Mary Misner, the daughter of Christopher and Cordelia
(Clark) Misner. The father was a Methodist minister and preached
in Multnomah county, Oregon, in 1876. Two years later he came to
Washington and preached through the country until his death in 1889, in
Lincoln county. He was a pioneer of the west and did a noble work.
The mother is a descendant of General Stark of Revolutionary fame and is
related to the Clarks of Illinois. She is now living in Melrose,
Idaho. To Mr. and Mrs. Melcher the following named children have
been born; Carry J., a graduate of the Blair Business College of Spokane
and now working for a leading business house in Sprague; Christopher H.,
Edna E., Myrtle, Zella S., Lloyd, Walter, and Genevieve. He is one
of the successful men of the country and has a magnificent estate of eleven
hundred and twenty acres. His sons own two hundred and forty acres
in addition and the place is fitted with all that brings comfort and is
convenient in a rural abode. He has a comfortable residence and is
a man of thrift and good taste.
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