Edwards, Rev. Jonathan.  "An Illustrated History of Spokane County, State of
Washington."  San Francisco: W. H. Lever, 1900.  p. 528.
 
ALLISON ALLEN

     a farmer and sawmill man and a pioneer of 1881, was born February 27, 1842,
on an island in the Mississippi river just above St. Louis.  When he was a boy
his family moved to Rock Island, Illinois, and after living there four years, to
Minnesota, where he was engaged in farming until 1880. In August, 1862, Mr.
Allen enlisted in Company G, Eighth Minnesota Volunteers, and was assigned at
first to service in the Sioux war and took part in the battle of Takakaacuta
mountain. Subsequently he was sent south and served under General Thomas in the
Western division, participating in the battles of Overhill creek, the Cedars and
Kingston, North Carolina. He was mustered out August 1, 1865. His military
duties being well and faithfully discharged, he returned to his home in
Minnesota and remained there until the spring of 1880, when he set out for the
west. He started from Fargo, North Dakota, to make the trip overland with a
family of eight children, all under seventeen, and a cash capital of six dollars
and forty cents. He pushed ahead, however, and when necessity demanded he would
stop and work till his larder was replenished, then move on again. On the 7th of
November he arrived in Helena, Montana.  He entered the employ of the Northern
Pacific and boarded their eighty men.  In April, 1881, they left Helena and came
on to Spokane, whence, after a year's residence, they moved out to Half Moon
prairie, where Mr. Allen traded with an Indian for one hundred and sixty acres
of land.  He imported the first sawmill into his section of the country and has
been engaged in lumbering and farming ever since.  He is a thrifty, energetic
man and one of the leaders in his community.  He is a charter member of Morning
Star Lodge. No. 142, I.O.O.F. and also of A. J. Smith Post, No. 72, G.A.R.  He
was married in Lake City, Minnesota, to Lucy J. Clarke, a native of that place.
They have eight children : Ollie A., wife of Scott Fender, a farmer on Wild Rose
prairie; Alice A., wife of Joseph P. Johnson, a farmer at Big Meadows: Lena M.,
wife of Fred Fender, Waitsburg, Washington; Minnie E., wife of E. L. Lebo, a
farmer at Half Moon; Lewis E., wife of Mr. Dan Enyart, a farmer; Leon G., wife
of Drin E. Harrison; Allison T. and Clarke.


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Submitted to the Washington Biographies Project in April 2010 by Diana Smith.
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.