Thomas McEwen

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

Thomas McEwen

Mr. McEwen was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on May 10, 1853, his parents being Edward and Jennie (Johnson) McEwen. He grew to early manhood in his native city, receiving a common school education. Coming to America in 1869, he first settled in Canada, where he followed farming for a short time. Coming thence to New Jersey, he resided in that state for about eight years. In 1879 he came to San Francisco, but a short time later we find him in The Dalles, Oregon, where he had his first experience in the transfer business, it being his duty to bear a part in the work of the Overland Stage Company, operating between The Dalles and Baker City. For two years he drove stage for them, then he purchased the Canyon line from his former employers and gave inception to his very successful career as a liveryman and stage operator. He now operates between Sumpter and Canyon City and sends daily stages to the Red Boy, Bourne and Granite mining camps, one hundred miles of route in all, and in this business he employs about one hundred head of horses. Indeed Mr. McEwen does most of the transfer business of this entire region.

The town of McEwen takes its name from our subject, who was the first hotel man therein. He, with Mr. Tabor, of the Red Boy, platted forty acres for the embryo city, and also gave the land on which the school building is located and the sites of the different churches.

Like many others in Baker county, our subject has realized very considerable sums of money out of mining ventures. He sold one of his properties in the Cracker creek district, the one adjoining the North Pole, to the Barring Brothers, of London, who are owners of the North Pole, for fourteen thousand dollars. He was one of the three owners of the Belle of Baker, which one year ago sold for ten thousand dollars, and he has promoted many other valuable properties. He still owns three promising claims adjoining the Badger group at Susanville. Mr. McEwen is likewise the owner of six hundred and twenty acres of land in the Sumpter valley, and considerable valuable property in sumpter and McEwen. It was he who built the Capital hotel, the Healey building and numerous other houses in Sumpter. Indeed, it may truthfully be said that he has done more building than any other man in that town.

Active in almost every other line, he has borne his part also int he political affairs of the county and state, and more than once he has been honored by his party. In 1896 he was the nominee of the Republicans for sheriff, and notwithstanding the overwhelming fusion landslide of that year, he was defeated by only eighty votes. For the past twelve years his voice has been heard in the state conventions of his party, and in 1900 he was a delegate to the national convention, and had opportunity to assist in the nomination of McKinley and Roosevelt.

Fraternally he is affiliated with the Freemasons, practically all of the degrees of which have been taken by him. He is a past master of Prairie City Lodge, No. 60, and has served as delegate to the grand lodge. He affiliates, likewise, with the B.P.O.E., the A.O.U.W. and the W. of W. His marriage was solemnized in Baker City, on August 23, 1894, when Miss Minnie Fox, a daughter of old and respected pioneer parents, became his wife.

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