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EDGAR DEWITT GILSON.
The career of Edgar Dewitt Gilson has been characterized by continuous progress, for, early grasping the eternal
truth that industry wins, industry became the beacon light of his life. For over thirty years he made his home
in Ritzville, Adams county, Washington, and was more or less prominently identified with its public affairs. In
1916, however, he removed to Bend, Oregon, and he is now mayor of that town, having been elected to that office
in 1920 for a four year term.
Fortunate is the man who has back of him an ancestry honorable, and distinguished and happy is he whose lines of
life are cast in harmony therewith. In the country in and around Flandria, France, the family originated and Edgar
Delano was head of the house of Delano de Lannoy. The progenitor of the family in America was Richard Warren, who
was on board the historic ship, the Mayflower, landing in this country in 1620. Philip Delano landed at Plymouth
Rock, November 11, 1621, having crossed the ocean on the good ship Fortune, and his son married the daughter of
Richard Warren, their descendants becoming prominent figures in American history. A lineal descendant, Hon. Columbus
Delano, was secretary of the interior of the United States, commissioner of internal revenue and congressman from
New York, and Hon. Charles Delano of Massachusetts and Hon. Milton Delano of New York represented their respective
states in congress. Mr. Gilson also numbers among his honored ancestry Ulysses Simpson Grant, eighteenth president
of the United States.
Edgar Dewitt Gilson was born in Middleville, Michigan, on the 26th of June, 1858, the eldest son of William Booker
and Ellen J. (Skinner) Gilson. The father was a native of Dublin, Ireland, and received his education in Germany.
He became an educator of note and won a great deal of prominence in that connection in Michigan, where he resided
until 1866. In that year he crossed the plains over the old Oregon trail with his family, locating in the Willamette
valley, in the vicinity of Albany, and for some years taught school both in Linn and Marion counties, having among
his pupils in 1866 and 1867 a number of youths who in later life became prominent factors in promoting the development
of the northwest.
Edgar Dewitt Gilson received but little schooling, the educational advantages in this section of the country being
limited during those early pioneer days, but he was reared in a home where much value was placed upon knowledge,
and possessing fine mental qualities, he has read widely and has thus acquired extensive information on a large
variety of subjects, being now generally recognized as an exceptionally well educated man. While attending school
he also assisted with the operation of the family ranch, located near Lebanon, Oregon, until 1877, when he went
to Albany and during the years 1878 and 1879 was clerk in the St. Charles Hotel at that point. From there he went
to eastern Oregon and rode the plains as a cowboy until 1883, when upon hearing of the discovery of gold in northern
Idaho he determined to try his fortune at prospecting and from Centerville, Oregon, in 1884, joined the rush to
Eagle and Pritchard creeks and the Coeur d'Alene mines, remaining there for a year. On the 2d of March, 1885, he
went to Ritzville and for the rest of that year and the following year he served as deputy and acting auditor of
Adams county and also as clerk of the Northern Pacific Railway Land Examiners. When N. H. Greene was elected sheriff
in 1885 he chose Mr. Gilson for his deputy, in which capacity the latter served four years and during that period
also clerked in a general mercantile store. In the fall of 1889 he engaged in the real estate and insurance business
and was interested as well in the hardware business, being associated with D. Keller & Company. From 1891 to
1893 Mr. Gilson was actively engaged in discharging the duties of city marshal, tax collector and street commissioner
and at the expiration of that period he was elected justice of the peace and police judge. He capably filled these
offices until 1895, when he was again appointed deputy sheriff and served in this capacity for four years under
J. A. Thompson. A year prior to the expiration of his term, in 1897, he was elected city clerk, holding this office
for eight years, and in 1898 he became editor and manager of the Adams County News, now known as the Washington
State Journal, in which he had a half interest, continuing to edit this journal until 1906, during a portion of
which time he likewise owned the Ritzville Times. In 1899, a year after he became editor of the News, Mr. Gilson
was elected county clerk and clerk of the superior court of Adams county for one term, also handling all probate
matters. In the succeeding four years he devoted the greater part of his time to his newspaper work but in 1904
again entered public life, being the successful candidate for the office of sheriff. He held this position for
four years, during two of which, 1906 and 1907, he was also president of the Washington State Sheriffs' Association
and representative to the National Sheriffs' Association of the United States at Chicago and Minneapolis. In 1904
Mr. Gilson erected the office building bearing his name and it is one of the finest public buildings in Ritzville.
For some years part of its lower floor has been occupied by the post office. In 1911 he was chosen to represent
the state of Washington as one of the three judges at the Pendleton round up, held from September 14th to 16th
of that year. The year 1912 witnessed the election of Mr. Gilson to the mayoralty of Ritzville and he will long
be remembered as one of the most efficient mayors that city has ever known. During his incumbency in that office
he did much to further the development and improvement of the community and he won the great respect and confidence
of his fellowmen. In 1916 he removed to Bend and organized the Gilson Land and Investment Company, of which he
is still general manager. This company is composed entirely of members of his family, the officers being as follows:
R. K. Gilson, president; A. B. Gilson, vice president; D. T. Gilson, vice president; E. L. Gilson, secretary; E.
F. Gilson, assistant secretary; and E. K. Gilson, treasurer. They handle real estate and investments and farm loans
and also do a rental and conveyancing business. The company owns forty acres of land in the city of Bend and one
thousand in the proximity of the city, being proprietors of Spring River and group of connecting springs and adjacent
grounds. Mr. Gilson is now serving as mayor of Bend, to which office he was elected in 1920. His labors in office
stand for law and order, for reform and improvement and he is prominently identified with the upbuilding and progress
of the city in many ways.
Since boyhood numismatics have greatly fascinated Mr. Gilson and has been the principal diversion of an otherwise
busy life. In this connection a contemporary writer has said of him: "He has much more than a local reputation
as a numismatist, having a large and remarkable collection of gold, silver and copper coins, and also paper moneys.
His copper collection contains over three thousand specimens, representing every nation in the world. Many of these
have long been out of circulation and have few if any recorded duplicates. In his paper money is found Continental
and Confederate as well as wild cat currency. Mr. Gilson likewise has a very large and valuable collection of curios
and pictures, numbering between three and four hundred pictures collected during the past thirty years. Many of
these are rare and exceedingly valuable, his various collections of coins, curios, pictures, etc., being valued
at many thousands of dollars. His avocation has proven a great deal of delight to him and is a source of continuous
pleasure and study. He knows many prominent numismatists, whom he has met through the medium of his membership
in the American Numismatic Association, and is quite well informed on the notable collections in this country and
Europe."
It was in the year 1887 that Mr. Gilson was united in marriage to Miss Edith Keller, a daughter of Darvin Keller,
formerly a merchant and large ranch owner of Ritzville. Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Gilson: Ralph
Keller, who was born in 1889; Edgar LeRoy, whose birth occurred in 1891; Arthur Byron, whose birth occurred in
1893; Darvin Thompson, born in 1895; Edith Florence, born in 1898; and Wilson Theodore, who celebrated his sixth
anniversary in 1911. The eldest son is now residing in San Francisco, where he is sales manager for the Pacific
coast for the Southern Cotton Oil Trading Company. He is married, his wife having been before her marriage Miss
Vanela Pidwell. Ralph Keller Gilson enlisted in the World war and served for fourteen months in the Fifteenth Ammunition
Train at Fort Bliss. His brother, Edgar LeRoy, who is now practicing dentistry in Portland, served throughout the
war in the Medical Corps. Byron, vice president of the Gilson Land and Investment Company of Bend, enlisted in
the navy and served from 1917 to 1920. He is now a member of the United States Naval Reserve Corps. Darvin T. is
residing in Bend and Edith Florence is the wife of Floyd M. Turner and likewise makes her home in Bend. The youngest
member of the family, Wilson Theodore, is a high school student.
Since age conferred upon him the right of franchise Mr. Gilson has been a stanch supporter of the republican party
and the principles for which it stands. He has been in public life as an official, both appointive and elective,
almost continually for more than thirty years and there is not the least stain upon his name incident to any of
the many trusts which from time to time have been given to his keeping. While a resident of Ritzville, Washington,
be served as a member of the school board for sixteen years, acting as clerk, director and president of the board
of education. In 1909, while living in Ritzville, he was chairman of the county central committee, his term expiring
in 1912, and for eight years he acted as republican state committeeman for Adams county. In the general election
of November, 1920, he was chosen justice of the peace for the district of Bend, which also embraces the city, for
a period of six Years, the term expiring in 1927. He has been prominently connected with political activities and
for many years has been regarded as one of the leaders in local governmental affairs. While engaged in newspaper
work he was one of the active members of the Washington State Press Association and on four successive occasions,
from 1902 to 1905, was sent as a delegate to the annual meetings of the National Editorial Association. In 1904
he was elected secretary of the state organization but resigned this office the following year, as his duties as
sheriff of Adams county precluded the possibility of his meeting the requirements of the former office. Mr. Gilson
has many fraternal affiliations and endeavors to live up to the teachings of each and every craft. He is a Mason,
formerly belonging to Ritzville Lodge, No. 101, A. F. & A. M., of which he served as secretary and senior warden,
and to Zenith Chapter, No. 55, O. E. S., of which he has been secretary and past worthy patron, while at the present
time he is identified with Bend Lodge, No. 139, A. F. & A. M. In 1891 he Joined RitzviIle Lodge, No. 58, I.
O. O. F., of which he was treasurer, past noble grand, past district deputy grand master, secretary for ten years,
past grand representative of four sessions and trustee, while of Zenobia Rebekah Lodge, No. 118, I. O. O. F., he
served as secretary and treasurer. He is now secretary of the Odd Fellows Lodge, No. 218, at Bend, Oregon, and
also belongs to Bend Rebekah Lodge, No. 208, I. O. O. F. While in Washington he acted as keeper of records and
seal, master of finance, corresponding secretary, past chancellor, past grand representative and past master of
exchequer of Prairie Queen Lodge, No. 36, Knights of Pythias. At present he is a member of Deschutes Lodge, No.
103, K. P., and Alpine Temple, No. 28, Pythian Sisters. He was likewise connected with Ritzville Camp, No. 5595,
Modern Woodmen of America, of which he was past venerable consul, past clerk, past representative and former manager,
and is now a member of Camp No. 9794, M. W. A. As a Woodman of the World he was formerly identified with Ritzville
Camp No. 463, while at present his membership is with Camp No. 316 at Bend, of which he is serving as clerk. He
is likewise a member of the Foresters of America and of Manzanita Council, No. 24, Degree of Pocahontas. He was
a charter member of Tomanawash Tribe, No. 39, at Ritzville, Washington, transferring to Deschutes Tribe, No. 69,
Improved Order of Red Men, at Bend, Oregon, in 1917, and is now great junior sagamore of the order in Oregon, so
that in July, 1923, by regular promotion, he will be at the head of the order.
For the past five years Mr. Gilson has been financial secretary and a trustee of the First Methodist church of
Bend and was the layman delegate to the Annual Columbia River conference, in session during the first week in September,
1921, at Spokane, Washington. Mr. Gilson always takes a deep interest in public affairs and has been an enthusiastic
member of the Commercial Club since coming to Bend and served as its secretary the first year. He became a member
of the Ritzville Commercial Club upon its organization and was president of that body in 1910-11, after which he
served as secretary for several years. His cooperation is assured every movement that he feels is at all likely
to promote the development of the county or its public utilities and in 1910 and 1911 he was manager of the Adams
County Fair and a member of the Carnegie library board.
Mr. Gilson is without doubt one of the most popular men in the northwest, his characteristics being such as to
win for him many friends. Enterprising in every venture he has undertaken, he has achieved merited success and
his history should serve as a source of inspiration and encouragement to others, showing what may be done when
energy and persistency point the way.
From:
History of Oregon Illistrated
Vol. 3
BY: Charles H. Carney
The Pioneer Historical Publishing Company
Chicago - Portland 1922
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