GEORGE E. DARBY

________________________

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LINCOLN CO. BIO. INDEX

back      next

________________________

      GEORGE E. DARBY, who resides about four miles south from Downs, is one of the leading stock men of the Big Bend country and owns one of the largest estates in central Washington.  He was born in Hartford. Connecticut, on August 19, t86o. being the son of John E. and Sarah (Bradshaw) Darby.  The father was born in Connecticut and followed carpentering.  He journeyed to Chicago in the early seventies, where he remained the balance of his life. His ancestors came to the United States in 1650 and some of them participated in every war of the colonies and of the United States.  The mother of our subject was the daughter of an English officer.  She was born in Quebec and came to New England when a girl.  George E. went with friends of the family via the Isthmus to California when a mere boy and received his education from the common schools of that frontier country.  He lived chiefly in Santa Cruz.  For a time, he worked in a California powder manufactory and in 1883, came to Portland.  The following year, he was in Spokane and also joined the rush of prospectors to the Coeur d' Alene country.  For sometime he continued prospecting and mining in that section and northern Washington and was the first man on the ground of the Old Dominion mine, located near Colville. Washington.  He also prospected some in the Okanogan country.  Mr. Darby has interests in the Slate creek mines and in other places. He owns a part also of the Mammoth group.  After sometime at mining, he went into business in Spokane and continued there until 1896, in which year he bought a three-fourths interest in what is known as the Lamona ranch.  This ranch is said to be the first one taken on Crab creek.  John H. Lamona located it in 1871.  It consists of twenty-four hundred acres of land beautifully situated on Crab creek.  The creek at this point is plentifully supplied with trout and the location of the place and its environments, make it one of the most beautiful in this whole country.  A number of hundred acres lie on the level bottom while considerable is devoted to pasture and wheat raising.  Mr. Darby has supplied the place with excellent farm buildings and every convenience known to a general stock farm.  Two years since, he bought the other quarter interest and now owns the entire estate.  He has a great many cattle and horses and has made a good success in his labors.