An Illustratied History of Baker, Grant, Malheur and Harney Counties, 1902
published by Western Historical Publishing Company

William P. Arble

Mr. Arble was born on June 7, 1825, in Altoona, Pennsylvania, being the son of Frederick and Rebecca (Fairfax) Arble, who were natives respectively of Pennsylvania and Virginia. Their marriage occurred in Pennsylvania, where the father was engaged in the iron works, and also operated as a contractor. In 1834 the father died, and in 1860 the mother also departed this life. In is native place our subject was reared and received his education in the common schools. In 1850 he left the parental roof and began life's work for himself, coming, via the Isthmus, to California, where he at once engaged in mining, continuing therein in that locality until 1865, when he removed to Nevada.

After some time spent in that territory he repaired to Utah, and thence he went to Montana, always engaged in his chosen work, mining. From Montana he went to the British possessions, and from there he came to Oregon, settling first in Canyon City, in1868, where he mined for three years and then came to Sparta. Thirty years ago he sought out a place in this locality and at the present time he is still living in Sparta. During his many years of travel and frontier life he has endured many hardships and passed through many thrilling experiences, which would be very interesting to detail had we the space. At one time he was snowed in on the mountains for three months in the dead of winter and only managed to subsist by getting elk meat, his only article of diet for all of these weary weeks.

Mr. Arble has never chosen a partner to share his pleasures and stand with him during the shades of life, and today is passing the golden years of his life in the quietness of celibacy. He owns considerable property and among it may be mentioned the Blue Cloud mine, a property of great promise.

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