Garigenm
Transcribed from "History of North Washington, an illustrated history
of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties", published by Western
Historical Publishing Co., 1904.
MATHIAS GARIGEN landed in the
old town of Ruby on the 27th day of May, 1886, with a saddle cayuse and
a month's supply of provisions as his total capital. Now he owns three
hundred and twenty acres of land six miles southeast from Conconully and
a large band of cattle, which make him one of the prosperous and well-to-do
men of Okanogan county. His place is cultivated in good shape, has a beautiful
six-room residence, plenty of barns and outbuildings and two windmills
and pumps, besides various other improvements which make it a very valuable
place. Mr. Garigen was one of the very first settlers on Happy Hill and
is now the oldest one living there.
Mathias Garigan was born in Darien, Genesee
county, New York, on April 30, 1861, the son of Nicholas and Agnes (Gager)
Garigen, both natives of Germany and now residing on the old homestead
in New York, wealthy and retired. The father is seventy-three years of
age and the mother sixty-four. Our subject grew to manhood with his parents
and received a common school education and also learned the carriage-making
and blacksmith trades. He followed his trades in various places in New
York until 1894, when be came to the end of the Canadian Pacific track
then walked a distance of two hundred and twenty miles to the Columbia
river, where he built a raft and made his way down that stream to where
Revelstoke now is. There were no settlers along the route and he had a
very rough and hard trip. He packed his provisions on his back and had
practically no bedding, which lack caused him great hardship and suffering.
He came to Spokane in 1885, then went to the Coeur d'Alene mines, after
which he returned to Spokane, then went to Colville, and later to Granite
creek mines in British Columbia. In the fall of 1886 he cut wood in the
Cascades for the Northern Pacific, then worked in a sawmill. May 27, 1887,
markes his arrival at Ruby and in 1888, he took his present place as a
homestead. He went east on a visit to his parents in 1892, and came back
the following spring. On January 9, 1894, Mr. Garigen married Mrs. Mary
E. Webb, whose maiden name was Swisher. She has one daughter, Theresa Webb,
by her former marriage. Mr. Garigen is a charter member of the W. 0. W.,
and was the first council commander and fills that position at this time.
Mr. Garigen is the second of a family of twelve children, nine of whom
are living. In August, 1901, he went east to visit his parents and also
was at the Pan American Exposition. He saw the lamented President McKinley
and also witnessed his remains after death. In 1902 Mrs. Garigen and her
daughter went east to visit her relatives and friends in Wisconsin and
Pennsylvania. She also used the occasion to visit Mr. Garigen's people
in New York. Mr. Garigen's place is one of the most beautiful estates in
the county and shows real thrift and industry in the owner.