Smalleym  
 
 

Transcribed from "History of North Washington, an illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties", published by Western Historical Publishing Co., 1904.

     HON.  M. A. SMALLEY is without doubt one of the most prominent men of Okanogan.  His acquaintance is extensive and he has made for himself, since coming to the west, a host of warm friends, who with the general public appreciate his intellect and his energetic and skillful efforts to build up and develop the mining resources of northwest Washington.
     M. A. Smalley was born on October 4, 1850 on a farm in Ashland county, Ohio, the son of Isaac and Elizabeth (Smith) Smalley, natives of the same state.  In 1853, the family went to Wyandot county, Ohio, and there our subject was reared on the farm and received a common-school education.  At the age of seventeen he taught school, and two years later went overland to Kansas, and there hunted buffalo during the winter of 1870-71, after which he taught school in Labette county, where the terrible Bender massacre occurred.  In 1872 he returned to Ohio and completed his education in the Northwestern Normal School at Ada, following which he gave his attention to teaching and farming.  His marriage to Hattie M. Benson, of Cardington, Ohio, occurred in 1877.  After this he established himself in the real estate business at Carey, Ohio.  Although he was a thorough Democrat in politics, he was elected mayor of Carey, which was a strong Republican town.  He was re-elected, and later resigned on being chosen to the state legislature in 1885.  Two years later he again represented his district in the legislature.  He was chairman of the Democratic executive committee of Wyandot county, Ohio, for seven years, and in 1894 was chosen chairman of the state central committee, to which he succeeded himself in 1895.  In February, 1896, he was appointed by President Cleveland, United States marshal for the northern district of Ohio, he being the last marshal appointed by Mr. Cleveland.  He served as marshal four months over his term, retiring July 1, 1900.  During this time he was interested in the production of oil in Northwestern Ohio.  In 1890 Mr. Smalley was local manager of the Lenore city company, which built Lenore at the confluence of the Tennessee and Little Tennessee rivers on the Lenore plantation in Tennessee.  In 1893, while in charge of the office of the Missouri Railroad and Navigation Company, he was appointed receiver of the Findley, Fort Wayne and Western railroad, extending from Findlay, Ohio, to Fort Wayne, Indiana.  He was manager of this road as receiver for two years, but was not discharged by the court until 1900.  In that year he made a visit to this part of Washington to inspect the mineral and other resources.  He purchased a group of claims known as the Oregon property, which is situated near the famous "Hee Hee Stone," six miles west from Chesaw.  Mr. Smalley and associates organized a company known as the Wyandot Mining Company, and began to develop the property purchased.  It is one of the most promising properties in the county and will soon be shipping.  Mr. Smalley has made careful examination of the resources of this country and believes that Chesaw is the center of one of the finest mineral districts in the northwest, and his efforts have been and are directed toward the development of the Okanogan country and bringing the same to the notice of capitalists.  Fraternally, Mr. Smalley is affiliated with the I. 0. 0. F., the A. F. & A. M., the Eagles and the Elks.  Mr. Smalley has had charge of the Wyandot mining company's interests since coming here, and has been so well pleased with this section that he removed his family here in 1892, and intends making Okanogan county his permanent home.