tannerm
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.
MICHAEL TANNER was born in Sauk
county, Wisconsin, August 5, 1865, and at an early age went with his parents
to Buffalo county, Wisconsin, where he grew to manhood on a farm, acquiring
meantime a good common school education. In the spring of 1882 he
came to Cheney, Washington, where he worked on salary for a time, and the
year following took a homestead near Mondovi. He had a hard time
in gaining a start here, since he came without means, and was compelled
to draw his produce a great distance to market. This was a difficult
and disagreeable task, since the country was at that time very sparsely
settled and the roads in poor condition. In 1893 he sold his homestead
and purchased his present home three miles southwest of Davenport, where
he owns eight hundred acres, about half of which is adapted to cultivation.
He has his land well improved by fencing, buildings, and so forth, a good
orchard, and an abundance of water in two wells, each of which is surmounted
by a windmill and pump. He raises some grain, but devotes his attention
principally to dairying and the raising of celery for market. He
has a large herd of dairy cattle, and sells great quantities of milk at
Davenport. He practically supplies the markets of Davenport and surrounding
towns, with celery, which he raises of the finest quality. For the
past three years his celery has taken the first prize at the Lincoln county
fairs, and has a reputation far and wide.
Mr. Tanner in fraternal circles is known as
a member of the K. of P. and A. O. U. W. lodges of Davenport. In
Davenport he maintains a handsome residence where his family lives during
the school season.
Meinrad and Anna (Kintchi) Tanner, father
and mother of Michael, were born in Switzerland, came to the United States,
settled for a time in Wisconsin and came to Spokane in 1885, where the
father died in February, 1902, aged seventy-three years. The mother
is still living in Spokane, and is now seventy-two years old.
Michael Tanner was married in 1886, to Caroline
Kaeser, a native of Wabasha county, Minnesota. Her parents were John
J. and Barbara Kaeser, both natives of Switzerland. Her father is
now living in Spokane, where Mrs. Kaeser died in the fall of 1903.
The issues of the marriage of Mr. and Mrs.
Tanner have been five in number, as follows, Cora C., Evalyn, Libby, Joseph
W., and Raymond M.
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