From "The History of North Washington" Published 1904
About nine miles southeast
from Chewelah one comes to an estate of one-half section which is owned
by the subject of this article. Mr. Tait acquired title to half of it by
homestead rights and the other half by purchase. He is known as one of
the industrious farmers and stock raisers of the valley and has done good
labor in improving thee state.ThomasTait was born on November 19,1844,
in Canada, the son of Samuel and Nancy (Chruch) Tait, natives of Scotland.
They came to America in 1837, and settled as they supposed in the United
States, but found that they were
across the line in Canada. They removed later to Illinois. They were
the parents of eight children:William; Samuel, deceased; Thomas;
Mary and John deceased; Jane Weed; David,and James. Our subject was educated
in McHenry county, Illinois,at the common schools. At seventeen he left
his school and worked on the farm for his mother until twenty-one years
of age. He then went to Montana and worked in the mines, continuing at
it for four years. Then he spent one year in Washington lumbering, and
in 1872 landed in Nevada, where he delved in the mines for
one and a half years. After he mined in California, Arizona, Wyoming, Idaho,Utah,
again in California,and in eastern Oregon. He also followed merchandising
in California and farming in Oregon In 1889 Mr.Tait came to Stevens county,secured
the ranch as mentioned above, and in addition to handling that has been
raising stock.
In October,1883, Mr.Tait married
Mrs.Elizabeth Gorley, a native of Salt Lake City, where she also was reared
and educaed. By her former husband, Mrs.Tait has one son, Leroy, now in
the Philippine Islands. Two children have been born to Mr.and Mrs.Tait,
James E.and Ethel, both with heir parents. Mr.Tait is a member of the A.F.&
A.M., and is active for
the welfare of the community. It is interesting to note that when Mr.Tait
came west he drove an ox team all the way from the Missouri valley to Montana.
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Transcribed by:
Nancy Grubb ([email protected])
A special Thanks to her for all her hard work that she has done!
For the Genealogy Research of the surname of Tait/Tate
March 14, 2000