JOHN L. BOONE

John L. Boone is a direct descendant of the historical Boone family who were the first settlers of Kentucky. His father, Rev. John D. Boone, a prominent Methodist minister, was a native of Ohio; his mother was a native of Louisville, Kentucky. They went to Iowa in 1840, and three years later, at Mount Pleasant, Iowa, the subject of this sketch was born, August 2, 1843. The following year his parents came across the plains to Oregon, and located and bought a large amount of land, including the tract where the town of Salem is located. Owing to some defect in the title a long and bitter litigation was involved, which continued until his death in 1864. Mrs. Boone's death occurred in 1878. Grandfather Hawkins lived to bring up all of his children and died at Silverton, Oregon, in 1881, at the great age of 103 years. The paternal grandparents of the subject of this sketch died at the age of ninety-three and ninety-four years respectively.

Mr. Boone entered Willamette University and graduated in 1858. In 1856 he received the appointment of cadet at West Point from General Joe Lane, who was an old and intimate friend of the family. Young Boone was a great favorite with General Lane, and after the latter was elected to Congress he used to write to him regularly. Mr. Boone's mother would not consent to have her boy get beyond the influence of the home training and go so far away to a military school. After graduating the following year, in 1859, he entered the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, and while there, in March, 1861, he went to Washington to attend the inauguration of President Lincoln. Upon the breaking out of the Rebellion, five days after his eighteenth birthday, on August 10, he enlisted in his college company the Twentieth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Colonel Charles Whittlesey, afterward commanded by Colonel Manning J. Force, now General Force, of Cincinnati. The regiment was in the battle and at the surrender of Fort Donelson, Pittsburg Landing, Iuka, under General Rosecrans, at the battles of Hotchie river, Bolivar and Holly Springs. He was discharged by the Secretary of War for promotion, and was offered a commission on the staff of General Cox. He did not accept this on account of his mother, who urged him to come home and he returned in 1864 to Oregon. Here he was appointed and commissioned First Lieutenant and Adjutant of the First Oregon Infantry, and served the last year of the war as First Assistant Adjutant-General of the Department of Columbia, with headquarters at Fort Vancouver. It being his determination from boyhood to adopt the legal profession, he studied law during 1864, 1865 and 1866. He was twice elected Clerk of the Oregon Legislature; then came to San Francisco and became connected with the Mining and Scientific Press, and was one of the proprietors of this journal for a number of years. In 1877 he was admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court and engaged in the profession of law. While enjoying general civil practice he makes a specialty of patent law, and has an extensive practice in the Federal courts. As an evidence of his success in the interest of his clients, it is a significant fact that in all of his extended practice in the Federal courts he has had only five adverse decisions. Mr. Boone was elected to the State Senate in 1884, and was the only Grand Army man in that body. He was chairman of the committee to present General Sherman to the floor of the Senate upon his visit to California. Mr. Boone was urged for re-election, but refused.

He was married to Miss Annie M. Lawson, of Kentucky, and daughter of Colonel Lawson of the Eleventh Kentucky Cavalry. His death occurred while in the service at Fort Fred Steele, Wyoming. Mr. and Mrs. Boone have four children.

Transcribed 1-5-05 Marilyn R. Pankey

Source: "The Bay of San Francisco," Vol. 1, pages 684-685, Lewis Publishing Co, 1892.