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ELLSWORTH M. THORP, who now resides about nine miles east from Sprague, is one of the first pioneers to the Big Bend country. His labors here for thirty years have been commendable, both in improving the country and in making for himself a comfortable fortune for the golden years of his life, now soon beginning to run apace. He is also to be highly commended as one of those brave men who hazarded their lives that there might be preserved to those who now enjoy them, the free institutions of our beloved country, and save unsullied from treason's minions, the stars and stripes, which now, thanks to those same brave men and their fathers who fought before them, float over the proudest and grandest nation the sun ever shone on.
Ellsworth M. Thorp was born in Boone
county, Illinois, on December 6, 1846, the son
of Edward and Phoebe (Ellsworth) Thorp. The father was born in Manchester, England,
came to this country with his father when
twelve, and died in Kansas, in 1869. The
mother of our subject died when he was nine
years of age. She was burn in Indiana. Ellsworth was educated in the public schools in
Iowa and when only seventeen enlisted in Company F, Thirty-eighth Iowa Infantry, being
mustered in at West Union, Iowa, in March,
1862, for three years or until the war closed. He was at the taking of Yicksburg, fought at
Yazoo Pass, Fort Morgan, Fort Blakely, then
was at Mobile, and later was on duty at Galveston and Houston. At the expiration of his
time, he was mustered out, having served as a
faithful private in arduous and trying places
for the entire time. He was mustered out at
Keokuk, Iowa. After the war, he settled in
Iowa for a time then went to Kansas, remaining there until 1868. In that year, he crossed
the plains with an immigrant train, landing
in the little mining town of Helena, Montana. For two years he sought the precious metal in
that section, being in company with Dr. Atkinson, who is said to be the first discoverer
of gold in Montana. His brother was with him
and about 1870, they came to the Big Bend
country. The brother stopped on Crab creek
and our subject went on to the sound. Wintering there and in the Willamette valley, he
decided to return to this side of the mountains
and accordingly came to Walla Walla. In the
fall of 1873, Mr. Thorp came thence to Crab
creek and took a piece of land. He cultivated
the same but did not file on it. In 1875. he
went thence to Los Angeles county, California,
with an immigrant train, and there met his
future wife. Seven years were spent in that
country and in 1882, he came back to the Big Bend. He landed here with a four-horse team
and twenty dollars. He homesteaded a place
near where he now lives and bought more. His
estate consists now of eight hundred and forty acres of choice hay land, which is well improved with excellent seven-room residence,
barns, and other buildings, besides fences, and
everything needed to make the place first class and up to date. Mr. Thorp has been school
director and road overseer at different times
and he evinces a keen interest in the welfare of
the country and its progress.
At Los Angeles, California, in 1876, Mr.
Thorp married Mrs. Elizabeth Knight, the
daughter of Simon and Deborah (Daily)
Feeler, natives of Virginia and North Carolina,
respectively. The father followed farming in
Missouri, and there remained until his death. The mother also died there. To Mr. and Mrs.
Thorp the following named children have been
born, Mrs. Eva Puls, who is the mother of two
children and is living in Lincoln county; Edward, in Montana; Alice Gibson, with her parents ; and Mrs. Frances Bogle, in Lincoln county. Mr. Thorp is a cousin of Colonel Ellsworth, who was said to be the first man killed
in the Rebellion.
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