Boundary County IDGenWeb Project

Volney W. Washburn

      Volney W. Washburn, deceased. It is quite fitting that a memorial of the distinguished citizen of our county whose name appears above should be granted space in this volume of history since he was one whose labors accomplished much in the development of the country and who was a leader among his fellows.

       Volney W. Washburn was born in New York on June 15, 1849, being the son of Luman and Temperance (Horton) Washburn, natives of New York. They removed thence to Illinois and later to Iowa, where they died. Our subject received a common school education and at the age of fourteen enlisted in Company G, Twenty-first Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and was honorably discharged on October 10, 1865. Returning to Illinois after the war he worked out until twenty-one and then married. In 1879 he removed to Grant county, Dakota, and in 1881 to Ottertail county, Minnesota. It was 1886 that the family all came to Wardner, Idaho, and nine years were spent there. In 1894 he came to this valley and located on railroad land where the widow now resides, two miles north from Copeland. The estate consists of two hundred and eighty acres of good land, fine buildings, good orchards and stock sufficient for the place. On August 24, 1901, Mr. Washburn died, and he was sincerely mourned through the entire valley as he was a good man and had scores of friends.

     The marriage of Mr. Washburn and Miss Anna Siverson, daughter of Sever and Martha (Olsen) Siverson, was solemnized in 1871. Mrs. Washburn’s mother died in Norway, the native land, when this daughter was four years old. The father came to America and settled in Iowa, where he remained until the time of his death in 1902. Mrs. Washburn has one brother, Ole, in Iowa, and one sister, Anna, wife of William Girrard, near Fenan lake, in this county. To Mr. and Mrs. Washburn there have been born nine children, as follows: John L., with his moher; Noah H., married to Angeline Kerchival; Martha A., wife of H. Guthrie; Nellie T., wife of George B. Whitney; Annie L., wife of Chauncey Guthrie; Volney W.. Bertha May, Harvey H. and Eva V., with their mother; the others are all living in the valley.

       Mr. Washburn was a prominent member of the I. O. O. F., having been a noble grand and also organ izer for the order. He was a Democrat in politics and active. In Dakota he was sheriff of Grant county and in Wardner he was constable, having also held this last office in Iowa. He was a man beloved by all and much credit is due him for the worthy labors he accomplished. Mrs. Washburn is nobly taking up the added burdens of life and has reared her children in the paths of good morals and she is highly respected by all.

– Page 844 “An Illustrated History of Northern Idaho, Embracing Nez Perce, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone Counties, Western Historical Publishing Company, 1903 “