From "The History of North Washington" Published 1904

Transcribed by: Nancy Grubb (nancyg@theofficenet.com)
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JOHN U. HOFSTETTER 
	John U. Hofstetter is one of the earliest pioneers to permanently 
locate in the Colville valley. He is one of the prominent men of the county 
today and has been a leading citizen during the intervening years. He was 
born in Splugen, Switzerland, on April 1, 1829, the son of John and Ursella 
(Mangalt) Hofstetter, natives of Switzerland, where they remained until the 
time of their death. The mother died when this son was seven and the father 
married again and raised two children by the second wife. Nine children had 
been born to the first marriage. One brother of John U. was instrumental in 
quelling a rebellion in the country in 1848. Our subject received his 
education in his native land and when eleven went to work in a calico 
printing factory. For seven years he followed that and then learned 
shoemaking. In 1854, he landed in the United States and after a short stay in
New York, he went to New Jersey and then enlisted in the Nineteenth Regular 
Infantry under General Scott. He was sent to Fort Monroe then to the Pacific 
coast and did active campaigning against the Indians. He was in The Dalles, 
at Walla Walla, in the Yakima country and always in action against the 
savages until they were quelled. Mr. Hofstetter well remembers the winter of 
1856-7 when all the stock was starved or frozen. He made the trip to Walla 
Walla from The Dalles on horseback in the dead of that winter and arrived in
safety. His company was sent to Colville to establish a depot of supplies for
the adjusters of the north boundry of the United States in 1859. In 1860, he 
took his discharge and then worked at teaming the government for a time, 
after which he started a brewery in this valley and took a homestead where 
Colville now stands. He rented the brewery but it was burned in 1873 and he 
built another in Colville. He operated that together with his farm and to 
these interests he has devoted himself since, also raising stock. Mr. 
Hofstetter now owns the finest residence in Colville, has elegant grounds, a 
farm of two hundred acres, a band of stock and much other property.
   In 1863 Mr. Hofstetter married Jean Ferrel, and to this union there have 
been born eight children, John U., now in Utah and a veteran of the 
Philippine war, in Company G, Twelfth Infantry; Willie P., in Republic,
Washington; George, in Colville; Lillie, wife of J.F. Rice, in Colville; 
Charles, in Lewiston; Clara, with her parents; Fanny, wife of Henry Silke,
and one deceased. Mr. Hofstetter is an active Democrat. In 1863 he was 
elected county commissioner; in 1867 he was appointed sheriff; in 1868 he 
was elected sheriff, continuing for four years; then again in 1874,
continuing for five consecutive years; in 1882 he was elected county 
commissioner and again in 1889.
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