Biography of George Henry Himes Excerpted from "Collections of the Kansas State Historical Society, 1911-1912", Edited by Geo. W. Martin, Secretary. Vol XII., State Printing Office, Topeka, Kansas 1912. submitted by Teresa Lindquist (merope@radix.net); (copyright) 2001 by Teresa Lindquist ----------------------------------------------------------------------- KSGENWEB INTERNET GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY COPYRIGHT NOTICE: In keeping with the KSGenWeb policy of providing free information on the Internet, this data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other gain. Copying of the files within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- GEORGE HENRY HIMES, of Portland, Ore., assistant secretary of the Oregon Historical Society, was born at Troy, Bradford county, Pennsylvania, May 18, 1844. He is the son of Tyrus Himes, who was also born in Bradford county, April 14, 1818, and Emiline Holcombe, horn in Bradford county in 1821. On the paternal side his ancestry is Welsh and English, coming to this country at an early date, and living, prior to 1810, in New Hampshire and Vermont. On the maternal side, his grandparents were Hugh Holcombe and Prudence Bailey Holcombe, who came to America about 1630. The Holcombes originally entered England from Holland about the twelfth century. His grandparents settled in Bradford county in 1796, and the westward movement of the family began in 1846, when they moved to Stark county, Illinois, in October of that year. On the 21st of October, 1853, the family arrived in Thurston county, which was placed in Washington by the creation of that territory March 2, 1863. The family had been seven months in crossing the plains with ox teams, and when they reached their destination they were destitute of everything. Mr. Mimes attended the district school a few terms in Stark county, Illinois, and about the same in Thurston county, Washington territory, ending in 1859. He did the work of a man from twelve to seventeen years of age, felling trees from four to six feet in diameter with an axe. In June, 1861, he entered a newspaper office at Olympia and learned the printer's trade. March 12, 1864, he moved to Portland, Ore., where he has been a busy man ever since. The Oregon Historical Society was organized December 16, 1898, when the board of directors unanimously elected Mr. Himes to take charge of it as assistant secretary. The acquaintance with early settlers of the Pacific Northwest, gained as a result of fourteen years' experience as secretary of the Oregon Pioneer Association before the Oregon Historical Society was organized, qualified him to do efficient work. Having twice visited the rooms of the Society, Kansas can say that the directors were most fortunate in their selection. December 24, 1866, at Salem, Ore., Mr. Himes married Anna Frederika Riggs, who was born at East Haven, Conn., September 21, 1849. Her father made the trip to Oregon via the Isthmus in 1852, returned to the States in 1855, and in 1858 took the family to Oregon. Mr. and Mrs. Himes have had eleven children, six of them growing to manhood and womanhood. The pioneer experiences in Oregon, while varying some from those in Kansas, were fully as interesting and trying. They lived in a log cabin for ten years. In the winter of 1853-'54 flour was $18 a barrel. Boiled wheat often was the sole diet three times a day, hut there was very little complaint. There was no market for any surplus of production. The settlers had war with the Indians for a year, beginning in October, 1855, and at four different times they were compelled to occupy stockades. The principal factor in subduing the Indians was the force of volunteers called into service by the governors of Oregon and Washington territories. This war, as well as the other Indian wars of the Far West, was caused by the failure of the United States government in keeping its promises after treaties were made. Mr. Himes has been a handy man in that section, having held many positions of honor and service, with but little emoluments. (Included with the article: "Crossing the Plains", page 261)