rinkers
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.
SAMUEL C. RINKER lives about
one mile east from Hesseltine where he owns an estate of one-half section.
It is good land and in a high state of cultivation. Mr. Rinker has
a good residence, buildings and all other improvements needed on the farm.
He is one of the earliest settlers in this section and he has labored incessantly
for the improvement and upbuilding of the country and stands now a man
of influence in the community. He is well respected by all and has
gained this by a life of straightforwardness and industry.
Samuel C. Rinker was born in Indiana on June
1, 1844. His father, Washington Rinker, was born in Tennessee and
a worthy farmer. He was a pioneer to Indiana, and later moved to
Iowa and finally journeyed west to Kansas where he died. The mother,
Mary (Haselton) Rinker, was born in Missouri. Her brother, William
C. Haselton was a noted orator. Our subject was educated in Iowa
and Kansas. He remained with his parents until the death of his father,
and then conducted his mother's farm. During the Civil War he saw
considerable service in the state militia. After the war, his mother
sold the property and they returned to Missouri, where he farmed for some
years. In 1876, he returned to Kansas and took land. It was
1883, when Mr. Rinker came to his present location, took a homestead and
later bought a quarter section. Since coming here, he has devoted
himself entirely to farming and the result of his labors are the well tilled
and valuable estate that he now owns. When first settling here, Mr.
Rinker was obliged to meet the hardships of the real pioneer and each summer
had to go to Walla Walla to earn money for the support of his family.
He began to raise wheat as soon as possible and threshed it out by the
horses treading it and winnowed it in the old fashioned way by throwing
it against the wind.
In 1867, Mr. Rinker married Miss Caledonia,
the daughter of Philip and Elizabeth (Keys) Askins, natives of Tennessee
and Indiana, respectively. The father was a well-to-do farmer before
losing his property in the Civil War. Mrs. Rinker was born in Arkansas,
June 12, 1853. She received her education in Missouri. To Mr.
and Mrs. Rinker the following children have been born, Washington, a farmer
at Hesseltine; Philip, a farmer in Douglas county; Mrs. Ida Tucker, on
a farm near Hesseltine; Harvey and Valley.
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