CIVIL WAR VETERAN
James Benjamin Swett was a Quartermaster Sergeant in Capt. Curray's Co. C. of the First Oregon Cavalry, serving under Col Benjamin Alvord of Old Fort Dalles from 1861 to Dec. 9, 1864, 3 full years during the Civil War, fighting Indians all over old Wasco County in the early mining days and building many of the military camps we read about in the campaigns of that period and could tell enough Indian stories to fill a western "best seller" had they been recorded. He was also a Pony Express Rider on the Portland to Yoncalla run before they had stages in the early 1850's. He was born at Fort Wayne, Indiana and fought Indians in the valley before he came to eastern Oregon. After his discharge at Fort Vancouver in 1865, he married Julia Potter of Oregon City, the daughter of Wm. and Elizabeth (Fowler) Potter. The family seemed to have 2 homes between 1865 and 1882, one at Oregon City where some of the children were born and one at Lookinglass in Douglas County where some were born which indicated he freighted by wagon and or drove stage or both between these two points for 15 years or so before they moved to Prineville in 1882 for a short period and then to Ellensburg, Kittitas County, Washington. Mr. Swett freighted between the Dalles and Ellensburg, until the completion of the railroads into Yakima and Ellensburg and crossed the Columbia River, on the ice, with 8 horses and two wagon loads of freight. The freight stopping points were the grist mill at Centerville, Satus Pass, Toppenish Creek, Yakima, Winas Creek and Ellensburg a full week of 7 days each way. They had 11 children. James spent over 40 years in the Ellensburg area and is buried at the IOOF Cemetery. He died in 1923. (source: History of Wasco Co., Oregon 1953)
James Swett was listed in the 1885 Kittitas County Territorial Census as J. R. Swett, 51 year old farmer, born in Oregon, with a wife, J. E. (Julia), age 38, born Oregon, and two daughters, E. N. (Evelyn Nancy), age 18, and A. (Almira), age 16, both born Oregon. In the 1890 Special Veterans Census, James is listed as living with his brother John J. Swett in Kittitas County.
His obituary from the Ellensburg Record dated Monday, April 23, 1923 appeared on the front page column 3 ~ James B. Swett, Pioneer, Passes - Civil War Veteran Here for 40 Years - Leaves Large Family of Children. Military Units to Assist in Funeral - James B. Swett, aged 85, passed away at 2:20 Sunday afternoon at his home a short distance east of the Damman school house. Mr. Swett had resided in the valley since 1882 and was widely known. He was a veteran of the Civil War having served with the First Oregon Cavalry regiment, and was a member of the David Ford post, G. A. R., Ellensburg. He was born at Fort Wayne, Ind. in 1838.
Local military units will assist in the funeral services, which will be held at the family residence, Wednesday at 2:30. Rev. J. W. Caughlan will officiate.
The deceased is survived by his widow, Mrs. Julia Potter Swett, whom he married in 1865, 11 children and a brother and sister. The sons include C. H. Swett of Dufur, Ore., C. C. Swett of Boyd, Ore., F. E. Swett of Santico, Ore., and W. A. Swett, Marion, Harry and Robert Swett, all of Ellensburg. His daughters include Mrs. George DeWees and Miss Sadie Swett of Ellensburg, Mrs. M. A. Rowland of West Lewistown., Mont., and Mrs. E. N. Fowler of Grand Rounde, Ore., A sister, Mrs. Gus Babcock, resides at Devitt, Ore., and a brother is in California.
The body is at Honeycutt's parlor.
James Benjamin Swett was a Quartermaster Sergeant in Capt. Curray's Co. C. of the First Oregon Cavalry, serving under Col Benjamin Alvord of Old Fort Dalles from 1861 to Dec. 9, 1864, 3 full years during the Civil War, fighting Indians all over old Wasco County in the early mining days and building many of the military camps we read about in the campaigns of that period and could tell enough Indian stories to fill a western "best seller" had they been recorded. He was also a Pony Express Rider on the Portland to Yoncalla run before they had stages in the early 1850's. He was born at Fort Wayne, Indiana and fought Indians in the valley before he came to eastern Oregon. After his discharge at Fort Vancouver in 1865, he married Julia Potter of Oregon City, the daughter of Wm. and Elizabeth (Fowler) Potter. The family seemed to have 2 homes between 1865 and 1882, one at Oregon City where some of the children were born and one at Lookinglass in Douglas County where some were born which indicated he freighted by wagon and or drove stage or both between these two points for 15 years or so before they moved to Prineville in 1882 for a short period and then to Ellensburg, Kittitas County, Washington. Mr. Swett freighted between the Dalles and Ellensburg, until the completion of the railroads into Yakima and Ellensburg and crossed the Columbia River, on the ice, with 8 horses and two wagon loads of freight. The freight stopping points were the grist mill at Centerville, Satus Pass, Toppenish Creek, Yakima, Winas Creek and Ellensburg a full week of 7 days each way. They had 11 children. James spent over 40 years in the Ellensburg area and is buried at the IOOF Cemetery. He died in 1923. (source: History of Wasco Co., Oregon 1953)
James Swett was listed in the 1885 Kittitas County Territorial Census as J. R. Swett, 51 year old farmer, born in Oregon, with a wife, J. E. (Julia), age 38, born Oregon, and two daughters, E. N. (Evelyn Nancy), age 18, and A. (Almira), age 16, both born Oregon. In the 1890 Special Veterans Census, James is listed as living with his brother John J. Swett in Kittitas County.
His obituary from the Ellensburg Record dated Monday, April 23, 1923 appeared on the front page column 3 ~ James B. Swett, Pioneer, Passes - Civil War Veteran Here for 40 Years - Leaves Large Family of Children. Military Units to Assist in Funeral - James B. Swett, aged 85, passed away at 2:20 Sunday afternoon at his home a short distance east of the Damman school house. Mr. Swett had resided in the valley since 1882 and was widely known. He was a veteran of the Civil War having served with the First Oregon Cavalry regiment, and was a member of the David Ford post, G. A. R., Ellensburg. He was born at Fort Wayne, Ind. in 1838.
Local military units will assist in the funeral services, which will be held at the family residence, Wednesday at 2:30. Rev. J. W. Caughlan will officiate.
The deceased is survived by his widow, Mrs. Julia Potter Swett, whom he married in 1865, 11 children and a brother and sister. The sons include C. H. Swett of Dufur, Ore., C. C. Swett of Boyd, Ore., F. E. Swett of Santico, Ore., and W. A. Swett, Marion, Harry and Robert Swett, all of Ellensburg. His daughters include Mrs. George DeWees and Miss Sadie Swett of Ellensburg, Mrs. M. A. Rowland of West Lewistown., Mont., and Mrs. E. N. Fowler of Grand Rounde, Ore., A sister, Mrs. Gus Babcock, resides at Devitt, Ore., and a brother is in California.
The body is at Honeycutt's parlor.
CIVIL WAR VETERAN
James Benjamin Swett was a Quartermaster Sergeant in Capt. Curray's Co. C. of the First Oregon Cavalry, serving under Col Benjamin Alvord of Old Fort Dalles from 1861 to Dec. 9, 1864, 3 full years during the Civil War, fighting Indians all over old Wasco County in the early mining days and building many of the military camps we read about in the campaigns of that period and could tell enough Indian stories to fill a western "best seller" had they been recorded. He was also a Pony Express Rider on the Portland to Yoncalla run before they had stages in the early 1850's. He was born at Fort Wayne, Indiana and fought Indians in the valley before he came to eastern Oregon. After his discharge at Fort Vancouver in 1865, he married Julia Potter of Oregon City, the daughter of Wm. and Elizabeth (Fowler) Potter. The family seemed to have 2 homes between 1865 and 1882, one at Oregon City where some of the children were born and one at Lookinglass in Douglas County where some were born which indicated he freighted by wagon and or drove stage or both between these two points for 15 years or so before they moved to Prineville in 1882 for a short period and then to Ellensburg, Kittitas County, Washington. Mr. Swett freighted between the Dalles and Ellensburg, until the completion of the railroads into Yakima and Ellensburg and crossed the Columbia River, on the ice, with 8 horses and two wagon loads of freight. The freight stopping points were the grist mill at Centerville, Satus Pass, Toppenish Creek, Yakima, Winas Creek and Ellensburg a full week of 7 days each way. They had 11 children. James spent over 40 years in the Ellensburg area and is buried at the IOOF Cemetery. He died in 1923. (source: History of Wasco Co., Oregon 1953)
James Swett was listed in the 1885 Kittitas County Territorial Census as J. R. Swett, 51 year old farmer, born in Oregon, with a wife, J. E. (Julia), age 38, born Oregon, and two daughters, E. N. (Evelyn Nancy), age 18, and A. (Almira), age 16, both born Oregon. In the 1890 Special Veterans Census, James is listed as living with his brother John J. Swett in Kittitas County.
His obituary from the Ellensburg Record dated Monday, April 23, 1923 appeared on the front page column 3 ~ James B. Swett, Pioneer, Passes - Civil War Veteran Here for 40 Years - Leaves Large Family of Children. Military Units to Assist in Funeral - James B. Swett, aged 85, passed away at 2:20 Sunday afternoon at his home a short distance east of the Damman school house. Mr. Swett had resided in the valley since 1882 and was widely known. He was a veteran of the Civil War having served with the First Oregon Cavalry regiment, and was a member of the David Ford post, G. A. R., Ellensburg. He was born at Fort Wayne, Ind. in 1838.
Local military units will assist in the funeral services, which will be held at the family residence, Wednesday at 2:30. Rev. J. W. Caughlan will officiate.
The deceased is survived by his widow, Mrs. Julia Potter Swett, whom he married in 1865, 11 children and a brother and sister. The sons include C. H. Swett of Dufur, Ore., C. C. Swett of Boyd, Ore., F. E. Swett of Santico, Ore., and W. A. Swett, Marion, Harry and Robert Swett, all of Ellensburg. His daughters include Mrs. George DeWees and Miss Sadie Swett of Ellensburg, Mrs. M. A. Rowland of West Lewistown., Mont., and Mrs. E. N. Fowler of Grand Rounde, Ore., A sister, Mrs. Gus Babcock, resides at Devitt, Ore., and a brother is in California.
The body is at Honeycutt's parlor.
James Benjamin Swett was a Quartermaster Sergeant in Capt. Curray's Co. C. of the First Oregon Cavalry, serving under Col Benjamin Alvord of Old Fort Dalles from 1861 to Dec. 9, 1864, 3 full years during the Civil War, fighting Indians all over old Wasco County in the early mining days and building many of the military camps we read about in the campaigns of that period and could tell enough Indian stories to fill a western "best seller" had they been recorded. He was also a Pony Express Rider on the Portland to Yoncalla run before they had stages in the early 1850's. He was born at Fort Wayne, Indiana and fought Indians in the valley before he came to eastern Oregon. After his discharge at Fort Vancouver in 1865, he married Julia Potter of Oregon City, the daughter of Wm. and Elizabeth (Fowler) Potter. The family seemed to have 2 homes between 1865 and 1882, one at Oregon City where some of the children were born and one at Lookinglass in Douglas County where some were born which indicated he freighted by wagon and or drove stage or both between these two points for 15 years or so before they moved to Prineville in 1882 for a short period and then to Ellensburg, Kittitas County, Washington. Mr. Swett freighted between the Dalles and Ellensburg, until the completion of the railroads into Yakima and Ellensburg and crossed the Columbia River, on the ice, with 8 horses and two wagon loads of freight. The freight stopping points were the grist mill at Centerville, Satus Pass, Toppenish Creek, Yakima, Winas Creek and Ellensburg a full week of 7 days each way. They had 11 children. James spent over 40 years in the Ellensburg area and is buried at the IOOF Cemetery. He died in 1923. (source: History of Wasco Co., Oregon 1953)
James Swett was listed in the 1885 Kittitas County Territorial Census as J. R. Swett, 51 year old farmer, born in Oregon, with a wife, J. E. (Julia), age 38, born Oregon, and two daughters, E. N. (Evelyn Nancy), age 18, and A. (Almira), age 16, both born Oregon. In the 1890 Special Veterans Census, James is listed as living with his brother John J. Swett in Kittitas County.
His obituary from the Ellensburg Record dated Monday, April 23, 1923 appeared on the front page column 3 ~ James B. Swett, Pioneer, Passes - Civil War Veteran Here for 40 Years - Leaves Large Family of Children. Military Units to Assist in Funeral - James B. Swett, aged 85, passed away at 2:20 Sunday afternoon at his home a short distance east of the Damman school house. Mr. Swett had resided in the valley since 1882 and was widely known. He was a veteran of the Civil War having served with the First Oregon Cavalry regiment, and was a member of the David Ford post, G. A. R., Ellensburg. He was born at Fort Wayne, Ind. in 1838.
Local military units will assist in the funeral services, which will be held at the family residence, Wednesday at 2:30. Rev. J. W. Caughlan will officiate.
The deceased is survived by his widow, Mrs. Julia Potter Swett, whom he married in 1865, 11 children and a brother and sister. The sons include C. H. Swett of Dufur, Ore., C. C. Swett of Boyd, Ore., F. E. Swett of Santico, Ore., and W. A. Swett, Marion, Harry and Robert Swett, all of Ellensburg. His daughters include Mrs. George DeWees and Miss Sadie Swett of Ellensburg, Mrs. M. A. Rowland of West Lewistown., Mont., and Mrs. E. N. Fowler of Grand Rounde, Ore., A sister, Mrs. Gus Babcock, resides at Devitt, Ore., and a brother is in California.
The body is at Honeycutt's parlor.
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