EARLY BIOGRAPHY OF LEROY SYLVESTER KEETON
By
Elizabeth Stears

The following information was written by my grandfather, Leroy Sylvester Keeton (1868-1966), and has never been published. My grandfather's grandfather, Washington Keeton, is buried in the Keeton cemetery at Lake Hope. Leroy was the son of George Washington Keeton, b 20 Dec 1846, d 27 Dec 1927, and Anna Catherine Johnson, b 22 Mar 1847, d 20 Oct 1920.

"This is a little history of my life, trivial it seems, but insisted by wife, Katie Keeton (Catherine Winningham Keeton, born 22 Dec 1873 Bentonville Ark, d 13 Sept 1949, Edmonds, Wash) for the interest if any for posterity. I, Leroy Sylvester Keeton (named for my father's brother Isaac Sylvester Keeton and my mother's brother Leroy S. Johnson) was born on a place called Little Sand Creek in Vinton County, Ohio, 28 Aug 1868. A creek called Big Sand Creek ran through my grandfather's farm, now Lake Hope. When I was a small child, my parents moved onto a farm owned by my grandfather, Washington Keeton (b 24 Apr 1820 d 7 Aug 1904).

The first I can remember, I was 3 yrs old, mother said. My grandfather was cutting hoop poles (hickory), selling them in Cincinnati to a cooperage firm. When I was old enough to go to school, I went to the Brewer School. My first teacher was named Andy Salts. A distant relative named Chinkey Pinney (girl) would take me to school and come home with me. At this ungraded school were men and women and little children in the primer class. After this, one winter, I stayed at Grandfather Keeton's and went to the Furnace School, my 4 aunts attending with me.

Hope Furnace was in blast (operation). Father was driving an ox team, hauling charcoal. At a railroad crossing, a Marietta and Cincinnati train caught the wagon and tore the wagon from the oxen and carried the wagon a long way before stopping. The oxen were thrown in a ditch & father escaped. Father farmed during the summer and dug coal during the winter at 75 cents per day. In March 1878 he decided to go to the Oregon country. A man named John Farrell went west with him. They arrived by steamer from San Francisco to Portland. They walked to Hood River, to a sawmill owned by Mr. Asher, and got jobs driving a team logging for about $200 a month. Father sent mother $200 with instructions to sell and come west, and the first of September we boarded the train for the west."

The narrative continues; George W. Keeton was already in Washington Territory and my great grandmother went by train with 5 small children (Leroy S., Mamie, Harry, Carrie, and Daisy), and G.W. Keeton's brothers, David & Martin. Also from Hope Furnace and Zaleski were Pearl Pinney, Aaron Turner and Wiley Scott."

Source: http://caglegenealogyonline.com/famgendocs/TN-109305_25.pdf, page 8.

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G.W. Keeton Funeral Rights Set for Friday

Last rites for George W Keeton, pioneer of Seattle and Washington, who died yesterday at his home, 3634 Aurora Ave., will be held tomorrow afternoon at 2 o'clock from the chapel of the Rafferty Undertaking Company. Cremation will follow the services.
Mr. Keeton came to Washington 1878 and moved to Seattle ten years later. He was a charter member of Fremont Lodge No. 86 I. O. O. F., and the Asbury Methodist Episcopal Church. He is survived by two sons, Harry and L.S. Keeton, both of Edmonds, and three daughters, Mrs. H. Murphy, Seattle; Mrs. F.A. Urban, Los Angeles; and Mrs. M. Knight, Portland; and two brothers and four sisters in Ohio.
Daily Times, December 28, 1927, page 5. [Furnished by Tammie Cochran]