The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1896-05-08
Mother Of the First White Child.

On Thursday, the 23d inst, the nine
tieth birthday of Mrs. Sidney S. Ford,
large party of old-time friends gath
red at the home of her daughter,
Mrs. John Shelton, Centralia and a
very enjoyable evening was spent in
whist playing, music and social chat.
Mrs. Ford is an old pioneer of this
state, having crossed the plains in
lS45, and spent her first winter at
place called Linnton on the William
cite river in Oregon, which was
Hudson Bay trading post at that time.
In the spring of 1916, together with
her husband, Judge Sidney S. Ford,
and six children, she came down the
Willamette and Columbia rivers and
up the Cowlitz river to what was then
known as the "Old Cowlitz landing"
now the Northern Pacific station OLE
qua, where they landed and had to
make their own road out to French
settlement on the Cowlitz prairie, and
from there they proceeded to what is
now familiarly known as Ford's prairie
and on the 10th of May, 1916, settled
on donation claim of $40 acres, one
mile moth vest of Centralia, where
they erected a log cabin, occupying it
for long time, and afterwards build
in a large mansion, which at that
time was considered the finest resi-
dence in the then territory OF Wash
ingtOn. Mrs. Ford resided there until
about twelve years ago, when she came
to Centralia to live with her daughter
Mrs. Shelton. Her husband, Judge
Ford, has been dead thirty years.
During his lifetime he was promin-
ent figure in Republican politics of
the territory. He was elected three
times to the territorial legislature, but
sickened and died before the third term
was served. Mrs. Ford has the proud
distinction of being the mother of the
first white girl child born north of the
Columbia river in the now state of
Washington then known as the terri
tory of Oregon.
The daughter now resides in Cen
tralia, Mrs. John Shelton, who was
born on the Sth day of June, 1847, on
the old donation claim mile north
west of Centralia Mrs. Ford lived here
over year without seeing the face of
a white woman, suffered all the priva-
cations and hardships of a pioneer
life, being here during the terrible In
wars of 1S55-56, at which time her
husband was Indian agent at this
point over the Chehalis tribe of In
dians, numbering at that time about
5000 as they were greatly mixed with
the Puyallup, White River and Kick
atat Indians and he also superintend-
ed the Gray's Harbor, Quinault and
Cape Flattery Indians He was justice
of the peace and county commissioner
in those days of Lewis county when
Olympia was the county seat, and
after the division into Thurston coun-
ty, he was chairman of the Lewis
county commissioners which held
their sessions at the old county seat at
Claquato. When Mr.. and Mr.. Ford
settled in this country there was but
one house in Olympia. That was
erected on a donation claim taken up
by two men named Smith and Syl-
vester. Sylvester's widow still owns
property interests in Olympia.
Mrs. Ford is in good health for the
extreme age of 80 years, and her intel
lect is clear and bright, and she re-
members many an interesting incident
connected with her early pioneer life
in this state. A number of old pioneers
and guests to the number of forty
we're present.-Centralia News.