Marion Meeker came over the Oregon Trail as an infant with his parents in 1852 and grew up during the frontier days of Washington territory. As an adult he had memories of living in a blockhouse at Steilacoom during the Puget Sound Indian Wars. His early schooling was in the family's log cabin home, with his aunt Amanda as his teacher. On October 6, 1874, in Victoria, Canada, Mary L. Weller and Marion Meeker married.
For much of his adult life Marion worked in father's various enterprises. In the very early days of his father's hop business in the late 1860s they formed a legal partnership. On January 21, 1884 he and his father dissolved that partnership and Ezra sold Marion his Puyallup general store. In addition, Marion leased 126 acres of Ezra's hop fields. The lease ran for three years from October 10, 1884 to October 10, 1887. Marion was to pay his father 3/10ths of each crop. Marion did not live under a lucky star. The first year into his lease the hop market collapsed and valley farmers, made little or no money. Only the store brought in income that year. The 1886 crop fared better. In the summer of 1887 Marion and Mary moved from their Puyallup home to Ezra's sawmill on Clark Creek, which Marion operated in addition to the store and his hop farm. Marion also became a hop-purchasing agent, traveling to California and Oregon buying hops from local farmers. At some point he acquired a home in Poway California, for his daughter Grace was born there.
In 1896 Marion and his brother Fred joined a gold rush to Cook Inlet near present day Anchorage, Alaska. A small strike was made in July 1895 near the current city of Hope, Alaska and was widely reported in the press. In the spring of 1896 the two brothers boarded the Steamer Lakme along with nine others from Puyallup and headed for Cook Inlet. The brothers found the prospecting difficult to impossible. By mid-August Fred was back home. Marion followed along a bit later. With the loss of their hop business in 1896, Marion, his father and brother, Fred embarked on a new career path. They formed the International Mine Development Company, and began prospecting for mining claims they could buy and sell. The Klondike Gold Rush brought yet another change in direction. The Meeker's shipped food products north to be sold in a store operated by Ezra. In March 1901 Marion Meeker, age 49, left Puyallup for Dawson City in the Yukon Territory. The purpose of Marion's trip was to relieve his father of the Dawson grocery business, freeing Ezra to go home. Marion stayed in the Yukon two years. In 1904 he was back in Puyallup, raising chickens. He moved to Redlands California about 1908, and later to San Bernardino. For several years he operated a gas station, motor court and cafeteria at Cajon Pass in conjunction with his son Ezra Blaine Meeker.
For much of his adult life Marion worked in father's various enterprises. In the very early days of his father's hop business in the late 1860s they formed a legal partnership. On January 21, 1884 he and his father dissolved that partnership and Ezra sold Marion his Puyallup general store. In addition, Marion leased 126 acres of Ezra's hop fields. The lease ran for three years from October 10, 1884 to October 10, 1887. Marion was to pay his father 3/10ths of each crop. Marion did not live under a lucky star. The first year into his lease the hop market collapsed and valley farmers, made little or no money. Only the store brought in income that year. The 1886 crop fared better. In the summer of 1887 Marion and Mary moved from their Puyallup home to Ezra's sawmill on Clark Creek, which Marion operated in addition to the store and his hop farm. Marion also became a hop-purchasing agent, traveling to California and Oregon buying hops from local farmers. At some point he acquired a home in Poway California, for his daughter Grace was born there.
In 1896 Marion and his brother Fred joined a gold rush to Cook Inlet near present day Anchorage, Alaska. A small strike was made in July 1895 near the current city of Hope, Alaska and was widely reported in the press. In the spring of 1896 the two brothers boarded the Steamer Lakme along with nine others from Puyallup and headed for Cook Inlet. The brothers found the prospecting difficult to impossible. By mid-August Fred was back home. Marion followed along a bit later. With the loss of their hop business in 1896, Marion, his father and brother, Fred embarked on a new career path. They formed the International Mine Development Company, and began prospecting for mining claims they could buy and sell. The Klondike Gold Rush brought yet another change in direction. The Meeker's shipped food products north to be sold in a store operated by Ezra. In March 1901 Marion Meeker, age 49, left Puyallup for Dawson City in the Yukon Territory. The purpose of Marion's trip was to relieve his father of the Dawson grocery business, freeing Ezra to go home. Marion stayed in the Yukon two years. In 1904 he was back in Puyallup, raising chickens. He moved to Redlands California about 1908, and later to San Bernardino. For several years he operated a gas station, motor court and cafeteria at Cajon Pass in conjunction with his son Ezra Blaine Meeker.
Marion Meeker came over the Oregon Trail as an infant with his parents in 1852 and grew up during the frontier days of Washington territory. As an adult he had memories of living in a blockhouse at Steilacoom during the Puget Sound Indian Wars. His early schooling was in the family's log cabin home, with his aunt Amanda as his teacher. On October 6, 1874, in Victoria, Canada, Mary L. Weller and Marion Meeker married.
For much of his adult life Marion worked in father's various enterprises. In the very early days of his father's hop business in the late 1860s they formed a legal partnership. On January 21, 1884 he and his father dissolved that partnership and Ezra sold Marion his Puyallup general store. In addition, Marion leased 126 acres of Ezra's hop fields. The lease ran for three years from October 10, 1884 to October 10, 1887. Marion was to pay his father 3/10ths of each crop. Marion did not live under a lucky star. The first year into his lease the hop market collapsed and valley farmers, made little or no money. Only the store brought in income that year. The 1886 crop fared better. In the summer of 1887 Marion and Mary moved from their Puyallup home to Ezra's sawmill on Clark Creek, which Marion operated in addition to the store and his hop farm. Marion also became a hop-purchasing agent, traveling to California and Oregon buying hops from local farmers. At some point he acquired a home in Poway California, for his daughter Grace was born there.
In 1896 Marion and his brother Fred joined a gold rush to Cook Inlet near present day Anchorage, Alaska. A small strike was made in July 1895 near the current city of Hope, Alaska and was widely reported in the press. In the spring of 1896 the two brothers boarded the Steamer Lakme along with nine others from Puyallup and headed for Cook Inlet. The brothers found the prospecting difficult to impossible. By mid-August Fred was back home. Marion followed along a bit later. With the loss of their hop business in 1896, Marion, his father and brother, Fred embarked on a new career path. They formed the International Mine Development Company, and began prospecting for mining claims they could buy and sell. The Klondike Gold Rush brought yet another change in direction. The Meeker's shipped food products north to be sold in a store operated by Ezra. In March 1901 Marion Meeker, age 49, left Puyallup for Dawson City in the Yukon Territory. The purpose of Marion's trip was to relieve his father of the Dawson grocery business, freeing Ezra to go home. Marion stayed in the Yukon two years. In 1904 he was back in Puyallup, raising chickens. He moved to Redlands California about 1908, and later to San Bernardino. For several years he operated a gas station, motor court and cafeteria at Cajon Pass in conjunction with his son Ezra Blaine Meeker.
For much of his adult life Marion worked in father's various enterprises. In the very early days of his father's hop business in the late 1860s they formed a legal partnership. On January 21, 1884 he and his father dissolved that partnership and Ezra sold Marion his Puyallup general store. In addition, Marion leased 126 acres of Ezra's hop fields. The lease ran for three years from October 10, 1884 to October 10, 1887. Marion was to pay his father 3/10ths of each crop. Marion did not live under a lucky star. The first year into his lease the hop market collapsed and valley farmers, made little or no money. Only the store brought in income that year. The 1886 crop fared better. In the summer of 1887 Marion and Mary moved from their Puyallup home to Ezra's sawmill on Clark Creek, which Marion operated in addition to the store and his hop farm. Marion also became a hop-purchasing agent, traveling to California and Oregon buying hops from local farmers. At some point he acquired a home in Poway California, for his daughter Grace was born there.
In 1896 Marion and his brother Fred joined a gold rush to Cook Inlet near present day Anchorage, Alaska. A small strike was made in July 1895 near the current city of Hope, Alaska and was widely reported in the press. In the spring of 1896 the two brothers boarded the Steamer Lakme along with nine others from Puyallup and headed for Cook Inlet. The brothers found the prospecting difficult to impossible. By mid-August Fred was back home. Marion followed along a bit later. With the loss of their hop business in 1896, Marion, his father and brother, Fred embarked on a new career path. They formed the International Mine Development Company, and began prospecting for mining claims they could buy and sell. The Klondike Gold Rush brought yet another change in direction. The Meeker's shipped food products north to be sold in a store operated by Ezra. In March 1901 Marion Meeker, age 49, left Puyallup for Dawson City in the Yukon Territory. The purpose of Marion's trip was to relieve his father of the Dawson grocery business, freeing Ezra to go home. Marion stayed in the Yukon two years. In 1904 he was back in Puyallup, raising chickens. He moved to Redlands California about 1908, and later to San Bernardino. For several years he operated a gas station, motor court and cafeteria at Cajon Pass in conjunction with his son Ezra Blaine Meeker.
Inscription
Marion J. Meeker 1853-1929
Gravesite Details
The date of birth on the headstone is incorrect.
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