Person Page - 203

     George C. Olds was born in 1886 at Minnesota.^1,3 He was the son of Simeon Olds and Lydia M. "Lilly" Shaw.¹ George C. Olds married Drusilla J. Ramey b 1910.² George C. Olds died in 1944⁴ and was buried at Macville Cemetery, Aitkin County, Minnesota.⁴
     George C. Olds and Drusilla J. Olds appeared on the census of 13 Jan 1920 at White Elk Township, Aitkin County, Minnesota, as follows:

George C. Olds and Drusilla J. Olds appeared on the census of 1930 at MacVille Township, Aitkin County, Minnesota, as follows:

     Five Olds children whose mother's maiden name was "Ramey" were found in the Minnesota Birth index for this time period. Three of them belong to this family according to census records. Perhaps this one does as well:
Olds, Clements Delbert Date of Birth: 24 Feb 1912 Mother Maiden Name: Ramey certid# 1912-04516 County of Birth: Cass.⁷
His death record says:
OLDS, CLEMENT DELBERT Date of Birth: na Place of Birth: na Mother Maiden Name: na certid# 1912-MN-001850 Date of Death: 29 Feb 1912 County of Death: CASS⁸
This is surely the same as the infant Clement Olds, d. 6 May 1912 (note different date) and buried in the Pequot Lakes Village Cemetery in lot B38 with no stone, the same lot in which Bessie Olds was buried in 1908.⁹
The other Ramey child was Lenora Olds and the 1930 census places Lenora in the family of Frank E. and Lillian M. Olds.⁶

     George Cummings Olds was the son of Alonzo Warren Olds and Fidelia W. Albee.¹

     George Daniel Olds was born on 26 Dec 1826 at Seneca County, Ohio.^3,4 He was the son of Martin Olds and Temperance Parker.¹ George Daniel Olds married Sarah A. Fairbanks on 1 Nov 1851 at Coldwater, Michigan.^5,6,7,8 George Daniel Olds died on 12 Apr 1862 at Washington County, Oregon, at age 35^9,10 and was buried at Masonic Cemetery, Lafayette, Yamhill County, Oregon.¹¹
     "George Daniel Olds, son of Martin Olds and Temperance Parker Olds, was born in Seneca County, Ohio, Dec. 26, 1826. In 1851, at Coldwater, Michigan, he married Sarah A. Fairbanks. ...
"George Daniel Olds and his wife came from Michigan to Oregon with the Olds Emigrant Party in 1852. Upon arrival in Oregon Mr. Olds took up a donation land claim in Washington county, near Middleton, eighteen miles south of Portland, and engaged in farming from that time on until his death on April 12, 1862. He died from blood poisoning which developed following a vaccination for smallpox.
"Several years after his death his widow married S. W. King of Portland, by whom she had two children, Charles King and Ralph King.
"The children of George Daniel Olds and Sarah Fairbanks Olds were: Helen Olds, Jay Cass Olds; William Parker Olds; Clara Olds; and Mary Olds."¹²
     His claim for Donation Lands in Oegon provides the folowing information: George Olds of Washington County was born in Ohio in 1827 and arrived in Oregon in Nov 1852. He settled claim on 4 March 1853. He married Sarah in 1851 in Michigan. On 27 Aug 1868, Martin Olds gave affidavit that George Olds was deceased and that his widow, Sarah, was married to Samuel King. Affidavits were filed by James H. Olds, Darwing G. Olds, H. V. V. Johnson and Benjamin D. Fairbanks.¹³
George Daniel Olds appeared on the census of 4 Aug 1860 at Washington County, Oregon, as follows:
     Geo. Olds, 32, farmer, b. Ohio
     Sarah , 26, b. New York
     Helen , 7, female, b. Oregon
     J. Cass " , 5, male, b. Oregon
     Willy , 4, male, b. Oregon
     Clara , 1, female, b. Oregon.¹⁴
     His obituary states: "DIED In Washington county on Saturday April 12th, George Olds, aged 34 years -- a well known and valuable citizen of that county."¹⁵

     George David Olds married Ethel "Joyce" Christmas at Wauchula, Florida.³ George David Olds was born on 22 Feb 1923.⁴ He was the son of James William Olds and Emma M Shane.^1,2 George David Olds died on 14 Jul 1991 at age 68⁴ and was buried at Highland Cemetery, Junction City, Geary County, Kansas.⁵
     He is listed in the 1959 city directory of Junction City as
[Olds] -- Geo D (Ethel J) mgr Maynard Washington Apts Inc h1622 N Washington apt 1.⁶

     George E. Olds was born on 9 Sep 1897 at Dekalb County, Indiana.^2,3,4 He was the son of Arthur B. Olds and Rose Wildred Kline.¹ George E. Olds died in 1983.³ He was buried at Greenwood Cemetery, Lagrange, Lagrange County, Indiana.⁵

     George Edway Olds was born on 7 Jun 1835 at Charlemont, Franklin County, Massachusetts.^1,2 He was the son of Alfred Olds and Lue [Lois] Tuttle.¹ George Edway Olds married Betsy W. Hodgkin on 30 Mar 1862 at Wabasha, Minnesota.³
     GEORGE E. OLDS (1865)
"George E. Olds. The second oldest settler of Yellow Medicine county now living in the county is George E. Olds, of Granite Falls. Nearly a half century ago he came, and he has had continuous residence here since. When he came there were less than a half dozen families in the county, and of the residents of that day only Arthur W. Winter is left in the county. George Olds has taken and[sic] active and prominent part in the affairs of the county in which he has lived so many years. He has served in the Minnesota Legislature, been a member of the Board of County Commissioners, county surveyor, and postmaster of Yellow Medicine City.
"George Olds descends from old American stock, his ancestors having come to the colonies before the Declaration of Independence. His father Alfred Olds, a tanner by trade, was a member of the Massachusetts Legislature; he was born in that commonwealth February 4, 1783, and died in 1851. The mother of our subject was born in Massachusetts June 3, 1794, and died in 1856.
"To these parents George E. Olds was born at Charlemont, Massachusetts, on June 7, 1835. When he was seven years of age the family moved to North Adams, of the old Bay State, and there our subject resided until eighteen years of age. He attended Drury Academy at North Adams until fourteen years of age and during the next three years clerked in a store there.
"In August, 1853, Mr. Olds left home and went to Missouri. For two years he was with the Missouri Pacific Railroad Company, in the engineering department. The next six months he was with the Southwestern Branch of the Missouri Pacific and then took employment on the Iron Mountain Railroad in Missouri, with which he was connected until October, 1857. From that date until 1866 Mr. Olds lived in Quincy, Olmsted county, Minnesota, engaged in farming and storekeeping.
"In the latter part of November, 1865, George E. Olds, accompanied by his brother T. T. Olds, his brother-in-law, Hiram Hodgkin, and a Mr. Holman, set out from Olmsted county in search of land claims. They drove through with horse teams and arrived in that part of Redwood county which is now Yellow Medicine county about the last day of November. They liked the looks of the new country and selected claims. Mr. Olds selected as his pre-emption claim 160 acres of land on sections 19 and 30, Sioux Agency township, and Mr. Hodgkin selected as his claim the farm now owned by Mr.Woodward--the old claim of John Other Day. After filing on these lands they returned to their old homes to spend the winter, arriving the first week in December.
"On March 19, 1866, Messrs. Olds and Hodgkin again set out for the upper Minnesota river country and were ten days making the trip with a double sleigh and cutter. Six miles east of Redwood Falls they were caught in a raging blizzard and were obliged to spend a night in a hay stack with the thermometer registering forty degrees below zero. When they arrived at their destination there were living in the whole of what is now Yellow Medicine county the following persons: John Winter and his four sons, Benjamin, F. Sanders and his mother and sister, George S. Johnson and David Lester, of Newark, New Jersey. The two families first mentioned lived in Sioux Agency township, close to the old agency buildings; Messrs. Johnson and Lester lived in Minnesota Falls township, the latter's claim being the site of Dr. Thomas Williamson's mission.
"Mr. Olds did not at once locate on his own claim; he secured a five-acre tract of land at the agency, rebuilt the Dr. Wakefield brick residence, and established his permanent home there. On that place and in that house he continued to reside until May 15, 1913, when he moved to Granite Falls, a continuous residence in the one house of forty-seven years. Mr. Olds acquired title to all the agency claim and other lands in the vicinity, and is today the owner of about a section of land.
"When Mr. Olds located in the county the nearest market was Redwood Falls, but often New Ulm was the point selected to do the trading. Grasshoppers took two crops, but he was not dependent entirely upon agricultural pursuits. He was chosen the first surveyor of Yellow Medicine county and served ten years as such, from 1872-1888. From 1877 to 1879, inclusive, he was a member of the Board of County Commissioners, and from 1895 to 1897, inclusive, he was a member of the Lower House of the Minnesota Legislature. After the village of Yellow Medicine City was abandoned he served as postmaster of Yellow Medicine post office five years, the office being at his home. For many years he was supervisor and clerk of his township.
"Mr. Olds was married at Wabasha, Minnesota, March 30, 1862, to Betsy W. Hodgkin, who was born at Waterville, Vermont, October 11, 1839. They have five children: Belle (Mrs. N. W. Dibble), of Troutdale, Oregon, born June 28, 1864; Benjamin A., of Sioux Agency township, born October 25, 1873; Lue A., county superintendent of schools, born November 3, 1875; Katherine, who resides at home, born May 26, 1877; and Nina H. (Mrs. Harry Todd), of Montana, born June 11, 1881.

Source: "A History of Yellow Medicine County" by Arthur P. Rose Published 1914.³
ToDo: For George E. Olds, find: "A History of Yellow Medicine County" by Arthur P. Rose Published 1914. I have a USGenweb version. Incorporate its data into my TMG database.

George Edway Olds and Betsy W. Olds appeared on the census of 12 Jun 1900 at Sioux Agency Township, Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota, as follows:
     Olds, George E., head, b. June 1835, age 65, marr. 38 yrs, b. Mass., parents b. Mass.
      , Betsy W., wife, b. Oct. 1839, 60, marr. 38 yrs, 5 children, 5 living, b. Vt., parents b. New Hampshire
      , Bnnie[sic] A., son, b. Oct. 1873, 26, single, b. Minn., father b. Mass., mother b. Vt.
      , Lue A., dau., b. Nov. 1875, 24, single, b. Minn., father b. Mass., mother b. Vt.
      , Katherina, dau., b. May 1877, 23, single, b. Minn., father b. Mass., mother b. Vt.
      , Lue A., dau., b. Nov. 1875, b. Minn., father b. Mass., mother b. Vt.
      , Nina H., dau., b. June 1881, 19, single, b. Minn., father b. Mass., mother b. Vt.
     Christianson, Hilda, boarder, b. Mar. 1876, single, 24, boarder, b. Norway, parents b. Norway, immig. 1884, in US 16 yrs, servant
     Moore, Merton, boarder, b. March 1880, 20, single, b. Minn., father b. Maine, mother b. Minn., farm laborer
     Monson, Ole, boarder, b. May 1864, 36, single, b. Norway, parents b. Norway, immig. 1882, 18 yrs in US, farm laborer.⁴
George Edway Olds and Betsy W. Olds appeared on the census of 4 Apr 1930 at Granite Falls, Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota, as follows:
     Olds, George E., head, 94, 1st marr. at 26, b. Mass., parents b. Mass., occupation none
      , Betsy Wright, 90, 1st marr. at 22, b. Vt., parents b. New Hampshire, occupation none
      , Lue A., dau., 54, single, b. Minn., father b. Mass., mother b. New Hampshire [sic], occupation none.⁵

     George H. Olds was the son of Luke Orrison Olds and Nancy P. Miller.¹ George H. Olds married Julia Ball Roberts c 1856.² George H. Olds married (2) Larussa L. (?) c 1907.³ George H. Olds died on 12 Feb 1911 at Springfield, Massachusetts.⁴
     George may be on the census enumeration of 6 Aug 1850 at Adams, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, as follows: George Olds, age 15, clerk, in the household of William Martin, 35, merchant..⁵
George H. Olds and Julia Ball Olds appeared on the census of 19 Jul 1860 at Chicopee, Hampden County, Massachusetts, as follows:

     
     "Mr. and Mrs. George H. Olds of Chicopee received a surprise visit from a large and jolly party of friends last evening, the occasion being the tenth anniversary of their marriage. Everybody went laden with tin ware, comprising all the grades in the wide range between useful and ridiculous, and the affair passed off so pleasantly that everybody wished tin weddings would come oftener. It seemed rather odd to see a tin pitcher marked "ale" on the table of so good a temperance man as Mr. Olds but we suppose it was all right."⁷
George H. Olds and Julia Ball Olds appeared on the census of 24 Jun 1870 at Waterbury, New Haven County, Connecticut, as follows:

George H. Olds and Julia Ball Olds appeared on the census of 22 Jun 1880 at Northampton/Florence, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, as follows:

George H. Olds and Julia Ball Olds appeared on the census of 1 Jun 1900 at Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio, as follows:

George H. Olds and Larussa L. Olds appeared on the census of 20 Apr 1910 at Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts, as follows:

     His obituary states:
               "George H. Olds
"The funeral of George H. Olds, 76, a former well known real estate dealer in this city, who died yesterday at his home, 50 Norfolk street, will be held at Washburn's undertaking parlors tomorrow afternoon at 2 o'clock. Rev. Dr. George S. Rollins, pastor of Hope Church, will officiate. Mr. Olds was associated for many years with the late Col. James Thompson, the late William H. and John D. McKnight and also with the late Henry Clark. He was born in Monson and came to this city about 60 years ago to learn the trade of mechanical draughtsman. He was employed in the Dwight Manufacturing Company and the Ames Sword Company in Chicopee and was foreman in the toolroom of Smith & Wesson for a number of years. He worked as draughtsman for Gilbert & Barker for 10 years and left to take charge of the Mary J. Sessions estate in Ohio. He was one of the developers of the Knight district and also was interested in real estate in other parts of the city. At one time he was a deacon of Park Congregational Church, and of late years had attended Hope Church."⁴

     George H. Olds was born in Dec 1893 at California.^1,2 He was the son of Jeremiah Stanley Olds.¹ George H. Olds died on 17 May 1973 at Riverside County, California, at age 79.³
     George H. Olds appeared on the census of 16 Jun 1900 in the household of his uncle George Mason and Kate Mason at Point Reyes Township, Marin County, California.²

     George H. Olds was born c 1846 at Vermont.² He was the son of Samuel N. Olds and Mary Caroline Robinson.¹ George H. Olds married Jennie Ellen Knight on 5 May 1874 at Clinton, Rock County, Minnesota.^3,4 George H. Olds died on 25 Aug 1882 at Luverne, Rock County, Minnesota.^1,5 He was buried at Maplewood Cemetery, Luverne, Rock County, Minnesota.⁶
     George H. Olds and Jennie Ellen Olds appeared on the census of Jun 1880 at Clinton, Rock County, Minnesota, as follows:
     131/134 Olds, George, 33, farmer, b. VT, parents b. VT
      , Jennie, 24, wife, keeping house, b. Wis., father b. VT, mother b. NY
      , Charles, 4, son, b. Minn., father b. VT, mother b. Wis.
      , Alice, b. --?--, father b. VT, mother b. Wisc.⁷

     George Hanford Olds was born on 20 Apr 1820 at Onondaga County, New York.² He was the son of Hanford Olds and Anna Ellis.¹ George Hanford Olds married Almira C. Smith on 9 Jan 1850.² George Hanford Olds died on 29 Feb 1880 at Ypsilanti, Michigan, at age 59.¹ He was buried at Highland Cemetery, Ypsilanti, Washtenaw County, Michigan.³
     George Hanford Olds and Almira C. Olds appeared on the census of 28 Aug 1850 at Pittsfield, Washtenaw County, Michigan, as follows:
     181/181 George Olds, 30, b. N. Y.
      Almira , 27, b. N. Y.
      Levi E. , 36, b. N. Y.
      Anna , 74, b. Conn.
      Eliza A. , 39, b. N. Y.
      Freedom P. Chase, 21, farmer, b. Pa.⁴
George Hanford Olds and Almira C. Olds appeared on the census of 7 Aug 1860 at Pittsfield Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan, as follows:
     1456/1452 George E. Olds, 40, farmer, b. N. Y.
      Almira ", 37, b. N. Y.
      Albert L. ", 9, b. Mich.
      Emma L. ", 8, b. Mich.
      Cornelia A. ", 5, b. Mich.
      Mary Jane ", 3, b. Mich.
      Elva S. 1, b. Mich.⁵
George Hanford Olds and Almira C. Olds appeared on the census of 20 Jul 1870 at Ypsilanti Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan, as follows:
     20/20 Geo. H. Olds, 50, farmer, b. N. Y.
      Almira, 47, keeping house, b. N. Y.
      Albert L., 19, at home, b. Michigan
      Cornelia, 15, at school, b. Michigan
      Mary J., 13, at school, b. Michigan
      Ella S., 11, at school, b. Michigan
      George H., 9, at school, b. Michigan
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      Olds, Myron L., 3, b. Michigan
      , Levi, 56, farmer, b. N. Y.⁶

     George Hanford Olds married Myrtie E. Warner.¹ George Hanford Olds was born on 26 Dec 1860 at Pittsfield, Michigan.¹ He was the son of George Hanford Olds and Almira C. Smith.¹ George Hanford Olds died on 4 Jan 1935 at 921 W Cross Street, Ypsilanti, Washtenaw County, Michigan, at age 74.² He was buried at Highland Cemetery, Ypsilanti, Washtenaw County, Michigan.³

     George Hezekiah Olds was born on 20 Oct 1866.^1,3 He was the son of Charles Olds and Mary Frances Nichols.¹
     "whereabouts unknown."⁴

     George K. Olds was born c 1859.² He died in infancy.¹ He was the son of Levi T. Olds and Mary Elliott.¹

     George Lewis Olds was born on 21 Sep 1853.¹ He was the son of Lewis Olds and Harriet G. Pierce.¹ George Lewis Olds died on 19 Feb 1874 at age 20.¹ He was buried at Keeler Cemetery, Keeler, Van Buren County, Michigan.²

     George Perry Olds married Elizabeth (?).² George Perry Olds was born on 14 Aug 1871 at Ware, Massachusetts.^3,4 He was the son of Alexander Olds and Jeannette Squires.¹
     George Perry Olds appeared on the census of 16 Jun 1880 at Stafford, Tolland County, Connecticut, as follows:
     Olds, George P., 8, boarder, b. Mass., father b. Mass., mother b. Conn.
listed in the family of Charles Russell, 50, and wife Lenora B. Russell, 58.⁵
George Perry Olds and Elizabeth Olds appeared on the census of 5 Jun 1900 at Manchester, Hartford County, Connecticut, as follows:
     Olds, George P., head, b. Aug. 1871, age 28, m. 7 years, b. Mass., father b. Mass., mother b. Conn., conductor (tramway)
      . Elizabeth, wife, b. May 1875, age 25, m. 7 years, 3 children, 2 living, b. Ireland, parents b. Ireland, imigrated 1881, in U. S. 19 years
      , George A., son, b. July 1894, age 5, b. Conn., father b. Mass., mother b. Ireland
      , Harold S., son b. Aug. 1896, age 3, b. Conn., father b. Mass, mother b. Ireland.²

     George R. Olds was born in 1870.¹ He was the son of Franklin E. Olds and Matilda C. Nims.¹

     George Rawson Olds was born on 22 Sep 1822 at Brookfield, Worcester County, Massachusetts.¹ He was the son of Gilbert Olds and Amanda Draper. George Rawson Olds died on 9 Jul 1824 at Brookfield, Worcester County, Massachusetts, at age 1.²

     George Sidney Olds was born on 23 Jun 1846 at Worthington, Massachusetts.¹ He was the son of Reuben Olds and Elmira Ferguson.¹ George Sidney Olds died on 6 Dec 1847 at Worthington, Massachusetts, at age 1.²

     George Stoughton Olds was born in Aug 1887 at Sudbury, Vermont.² He was the son of Edward Allen Olds and Ella Knapp.¹

     George W. Olds was born in 1852.^2,3,4 He was the son of Riley Olds and Olive R. Hastings.¹ George W. Olds died in 1912.⁵ He was buried at Hastings Hill Cemetery, Suffield, Hartford County, Connecticut.^5,6

     George W. Olds was born c 1858 at Ohio.¹ He was the son of Davis Olds and Mariah (?).¹

     George W. Olds was born in 1856.¹ He was the son of Warren W. Olds and Phebe Golden.¹ George W. Olds married Nettie A. Hanks on 24 Nov 1885 at Whiteside County, Illinois.²
     George W. Olds appeared on the census of 6 May 1910 at Belle Plaine City, Benton County, Iowa, as follows:
     Olds, George W., head, age 53, m. once for 24 years, father b. Mass., mother b. KY
      , Nettie H., wife, 43, m. once for 24 years, 1 child, 1 living, b. Ill, father b. Ky, mother b. N. Y.
      , Bennett, son, 18, b. Ill., parents b. Ill.³ He "lives at Belle Plaine, Iowa."¹

     George W. Olds was born on 4 Oct 1834.² He was the son of Joseph Warren Olds and Deborah Harwood.^1,2 George W. Olds married Eunice M. Webber on 11 Aug 1866.³ George W. Olds died on 16 Aug 1892 at age 57.⁴

     George W. Olds was born on 16 Jul 1831 at Hillsdale County, Michigan.^2,3 He was the son of Abel Olds and Annie Thurston.¹ George W. Olds married Nancy Ellen Shuck on 10 Nov 1859 at Yamhill County, Oregon.^2,4,5 George W. Olds died on 18 Jun 1907 at Oregon at age 75.⁶ He was buried at Masonic Cemetery, McMinnville, Yamhill County, Oregon.⁷
     "GEORGE W. OLDS, a pioneer of 1851, and a prominent and well-known farmer and citizen of Yam Hill county, was born in Hillsdale county, Michigan, July 16, 1831. His father, Abel Olds, was a native of Pennsylvania [here follows some biographical material on Abel Olds and his family].
"Mr. Olds, whose name heads this sketch, was brought up on the farm, laboring very diligently during all the warmer portion of the year, and attending school during the wintor in a log schoolhouse. As he approached manhood he was employed for a time on the construction of the Michigan Southern railroad, the first built in that State.
"Crossing the plains to Oregon in his twentieth year, he came with his uncle, Martin Olds, who was captain of the company and a man of note, both in Michigan and afterward in Oregon; and Mr. Olds tells the following story concerning the courage exhibited by his uncle: At Wood river the Indians had taken the cover off from the bridge and compelled some of the emigrants to slide the wagons across on the stringers. Martin Olds started to cross on a stringer, with a heavy stick to steady himself. When part of the way over, a heavy Indian chief got upon the same stringer to meet him, and beckoning to him at the same time to return. Mr. Olds refused, and in turn beckoned to the chief to return to his own side. "Big Indian" refused, and with one blow of the stick in the hands of Mr. Olds his copper-faced majesty was knocked into the river! As he fell he yelled out an unearthly Indian whoop, and all his braves came down to the bank prepared for war. The emigrants did the same, and when the Indians saw that they could not intimidate them, they desisted. Then Mr. Olds made them put the cover back upon the bridge, and they passed over in safety. They found emigrants on the other side who were afraid to go forward because of the Indians. Mr. Olds separated his train and put the timid ones in the middle, and in that way they moved forward. The Indians kept following them until they became tired, and then Captain Olds ordered them back or to go away, and they obeyed him.
"On arrival in Oregon Mr. Olds came to La Fayette, and employed himself at anything he could find to do, — on the farm, in the sawmill, etc. Later, with five pack-mules, he went to meet his sister in the company who were on their way to Oregon, and liable to run out of supplies; but while on the expedition he was taken with the mountain fever, — which is equivalent to the typhoid fever elsewhere, — and this prostrated him so that he could not proceed. After he had been sick four weeks his people came and found him, placed him on a wagon and brought him back. He became so low that for three weeks he was unconscious. The saving of his life is attributed to quinine and brandy, prescribed by a physician, to be given him after the fever left him. On arriving at Portland Mr. Olds was a mere skeleton, and it was late the next summer before he was able to do any work. When he was at the Dalles, on his way home, he was weighed and found to weigh only sixty-eight pounds!
"He was employed a year by Daniel Johnson in driving stage from La Fayette to Portland, and the following year worked on a Government road near Walla Walla, and then, in company with another party, he purchased a threshing-machine; but the Indian war broke out, and he left the thresher with J. W. Cook, and enlisted and served through the war. Next he engaged in driving pack trains; then drove a Government team from the Dalles to Walla Walla and in the Yakima country.
"In 1858 he came to Yam Hill county, locating where he now resides.He purchased eighty acres of land eight miles northeast of McMinnville, on the Sheridan road. There was then a small frame cabin there. After building some fence on the premises, he went to La Fayette and was married. Next he was hired to work in the sawmill of John Ensley, while his wife cooked for the hands employed there, being paid $40 per month, in lumber at $10 a thousand feet. On being informed that he could work also on Sundays and have all the lumber he could make, he gleaned the heaviest tops of the trees that had been cut down and left, and prepared them for the sawmill. One large tree was given him which stood on the hill above his house, in an almost inaccessible place. He began to burn it down, but fearing that it might fall upon the house, he was obliged to cut it on a certain side to cause it to fall another way, and was successful. Then he and his wife sawed it into logs of proper length, and with an extra team hauled them to mill, and thus saved 8,000 feet of lumber. After five months working in this way he had accumulated 20,000 feet of lumber for his wages, and 18,000 feet for his Sunday work. He sold what he did not want for his house, and the next spring he moved to the place where he built, planted trees, and made one of the best farms in the county.
"In the meantime, in company with Daniel Parker, he went to the mines at Florence City with pack animals, and after an absence of three months he returned with $1,000 in gold dust. Thus he was able to go to Portland and purchase the furniture and many other things which he greatly needed.
"During the following spring (1862) he returned to those mines, remained there the same length of time, and returned with as much more money, with which he purchased more land, — first eighty acres adjoining, and later sixty acres more. The war came on, and prices went up. He sowed over sixty acres to wheat, had an immense yield, most of it going up as high as sixty bushels to the acre. He sold 400 bushels at 90 cents; 2,300 bushels at $1.40, and 900 bushels at $2.25 per bushel!
"January 11, 1865, he moved out of the oid cabin, into the fine, new house. Since then he has bought twenty-five acres of timbered land. He has built upon his property one of the largest and best barns in the county. Thus our pioneer is very nicely situated.
"November 10, 1859, Mr. Olds married Miss Ellen Shuck, a native of Iowa, and the daughter of Hon. Andrew Shuck, a pioneer of 1847. Mr. and Mrs. Olds have had three daughters. The eldest, Minnie, died November 22, 1878, in her sixteenth year; Augusta died August 24, 1874, in her third year; and Ella E., born July 8, 1871, is living, now the wife of James E. Duram. a native of Oregon, and a tinner by trade.
"Mr. Olds was a charter member of the Grange in his neighborhood, in which he served for a time as Overseer. He is also a member of the A. O. U. W. He has been a Democrat, but now sympathizes rather with the People's party. He has taken a prominent part in the school interests of his community for twenty-three years; was for a long time Clerk of the Board. He is liberal in his religious views, and is a gentleman of intelligence and ability."²
     Another biographical sketch of George W. Olds provides the following information:
"George W. Olds, a retired farmer living in McMinnville, and a pioneer of Oregon of 1851, was born in Hillsdale, Mich., July 16, 1831, and is of English descent. His paternal great-grandfather was a native of England and on emigrating to the new world settled in Maine. The grandfather of our subject was Timothy Olds, the father, Abel Olds. The latter was born in Ohio and at an early age was left an orphan. Locating in Hillsdale county, Mich., he there followed farming for a time and afterward removed to the vicinity of Coldwater, Branch county, where he improved a farm upon which he spent his remaining days, dying in 1850. He was a Universalist in religious faith and a man of sterling worth and integrity. He married Anna Thurston, who was born in Lisle, Broome county, N.Y., a daughter of Blakeley Thurston, who, on removing to the west, settled in St. Joseph county. The parents of Mr. Olds were the first couple married in St. Joseph county. The wife died in 1846 and four years later the husband passed away. They were the parents of six children, one son and five daughters, and the living are George W. and Mrs. Derby, of McMinnville.
"Upon a farm in his native state the subject of this review was reared, early becoming familiar with the work of field and meadow, while in the subscription school he pursued his education. He remained at home until after his father's death and in 1851 he started for Oregon, with his uncle, Martin Olds. With horse teams they left Branch county, Mich., and journeyed westward, crossing the Mississippi at Galena, Ill., and the Missouri at Kanesville, their destination being Oregon City. It was on the 10th of April that they left their Michigan home, and on the 31st of October they arrived in Oregon City, where Mr. Olds soon secured work, being in the employ of others until 1857, when he purchased a farm.
"In October, 1855, however, he had volunteered in an Oregon regiment for service in the Yakima Indian war and served on the Snake river, in Yakima and Walla Walla counties, and took part in the battles of Fort Simcoe in Yakima valley, remaining with his command until the close of the war, being mustered out May 10, 1856. In 1861 he located on his farm of one hundred and sixty acres, eight miles southwest of McMinnville. This he fenced and improved, devoting his energies to the production of grain and the raising of stock. He erected good buildings there and for forty years he carried on agricultural pursuits, after which he rented the place in 1901, and in July, 1902, he sold that property. Upon leasing his farm he removed to McMinnville and purchased a residence in which he has since lived retired.
"On the 10th of November, 1859, in Lafayette, Mr. Olds was married to Miss Nancy Ellen Shuck, who was born near Burlington, Iowa. Her father was born near Crawfordsville, Ind., June 19, 1815, and the grandfather, Jacob Shuck, was born in Pennsylvania, whence he removed to Indiana, locating upon a farm. [Here follows a discussion of the Shuck family and other relatives of Mrs. Olds] Unto Mr. and Mrs. Olds were born three children, but Minnie died at the age of sixteen years and Augusta at the age of two and one-half years, the surviving daughter being Ella, the wife of J. E. Durham, of Portland.
"Mr. Olds belongs to the Ancient Order of United Workmen and he and his family are connected with the Grange and Mrs. Olds with the Degree of Honor. In politics Mr. Olds is a Democrat and he belongs to the Indian War Veterans' Association. He is also a member of the County Pioneers' Association and both he and his wife are members of the State Pioneers' Association, whose meetings they have attended each year for the past eighteen years."⁸
     "He was commonly spoken of by his close relatives as 'Little' George Olds, in order the more clearly to distinguish him from his older cousin, George Daniel Olds. George W. Olds came out to Oregon from Michigan in 1851 with his uncle, Martin Olds, and his cousin James Hiram Olds. He served as a member of the military forces in the Indian War of 1855. He acquired a farm near Bellevue, Oregon, about eight miles southwest of McMinnville, and engaged in farming until 1901, when he retired from active work and moved to McMinnville, where he continued to reside until his death. He died June 18, 1907, from a heart attack while on a train enroute from McMinnville to Portland to attend the annual reunion of Indian War Veterans and Pioneers.
"George W. Olds married Ella Shuck. She was the daughter of Andrew Shuck and Mary Conlee Shuck, both of whom came out to Oregon from Iowa in 1847. The children of George W. Olds and Mary[sic] Shuck Olds were: Minnie, who died in youth; and Ella."⁹
George W. Olds and Nancy Ellen Olds appeared on the census of 23 Jun 1870 at McMinnville Precinct, Yamhill County, Oregon, as follows:
     Olds, George, 38, farmer, b. Mich.
      , Ellen, 27, keeping house, b. Iowa
      , Minnie, 7, at school, b. Oregon.¹⁰
George W. Olds and Nancy Ellen Olds appeared on the census of 11 Jun 1880 at Bellevue Precinct, Yamhill County, Oregon, as follows:
     Olds, George W., 49, farmer, b. Mich., parents b. N. Y.
      , Nancy E., 34, wife, keeping house, b. Iowa, parents b. Ky.
      , Ella, dau., at school, b. Oregon, father b. Mich., mother b. Iowa.¹¹
George W. Olds and Nancy Ellen Olds appeared on the census of 29 Jun 1900 at Bellevue Precinct, Yamhill County, Oregon, as follows:
     Olds, George W., head, b. May 1832[sic], age 68, marr. 35 yrs, b. Mich., father b. Missouri, mother b. Wisc., farmer
      , Nancy E., wife, b. June 1842, age 58, marr. 35 years, 3 children, 1 liviing, b. Iowa, father b. Kentucky, mother b. Indiana.¹²

     George W. Olds was born on 9 Nov 1865 at Milan, Monroe County, Michigan.^1,2 He was the son of Horace Olds and Phoebe Jane Lockhart.¹ George W. Olds married Esther Thompson on 20 Dec 1901 at Middle Branch, Osceola County, Michigan.³ George W. Olds died on 3 Aug 1917 at Middle Branch Township, Osceola County, Michigan. This gives his calculated age as 51 years, 8 months and 25 days.¹
     George W. Olds appeared on the census of 20 Jun 1900 at Middle Branch Township, Osceola County, Michigan, as follows:
     Oles, George, b. Nov 1865, age 34, single, b. Michigan, father b. Mich., mother b. Ohio, farmer.⁴
George W. Olds appeared on the census of 26 Apr 1910 at Middle Branch Township, Osceola County, Michigan, as follows:
     Oles, George W., head, 47, marr. once, 8 yrs, b. Mich, parents b. Mich., general farming
      , Esther M., wife, 29, marr. twice, 5 children, 5 living, b. Mich., father b. England, mother b. N. Y.
      , Ethel J., dau., 7, b. Mich., parents b. Mich.
      , Julia E., dau., 6, b. Mich., parents b. Mich.
      , Etta R., dau., 4, b. Mich., parents b. Mich.
      , Alice M., dau., 2, b. Mich.
     Sexton, Albert M., 10, stepson, b. Mich., parents b. Mich.⁵
     His obituary states: "George W. Oles was born in Milan, Monroe county, Michigan, Nov. 9, 1865 and passed away at his home in Middle branch, Friday, August 3, 1917 at 1:30 p.m. after a long illness at the age of 52 years, 8 months, 25 days. He leaves to mourn his departure a wife, five daughters, one step-son, two sisters, Mrs. Emily Rodabaugh and Mrs. Esther Tower, besides a large number of other relatives and friends. He was a kind father and husband, a good neighbor and was always respected for his honesty and industrious habits. The funeral was held at the Middle Branch church on Sunday at 10 a.m. The crowded church bespoke the esteem in which the deceased was held. Rev. J. Harvey Lampkin officiated and his sermon could not fail to stir the hearts of all present. Interment was made in Middle Branch cemetery."²

     George W. Olds was born c 1859 at California.¹ He was the son of William H. Olds and Frances (?).¹

     George W. Olds was born c 1874.¹ He was the son of Gilbert Ogden Olds and Sarah Catharine Showman.¹ George W. Olds died on 23 Jan 1878.¹ He was buried at Bloomville Quarry Cemetery, Bloomville, Seneca County, Ohio.^2,3,4

     George Washington Olds was born on 7 Feb 1848 at Lee, Berkshire County, Massachusetts.³ He was the son of Jonathan Olds and Frances Minerva Bush.² George Washington Olds married Eunice D. Cole in 1880 at Napa, California.⁴
     George Washington Olds appeared on the census of 12 Jun 1880 at Napa City, Napa County, California, as follows:
     Olds, George W., 31, teamster, b. Mass., parents b. Mass.
      , Eunice, 20, keeping house, b. Iowa, parents b. Mass.
     Cole, Hannah, 67, mother-in-law, b. Mass., parents b. Mass.⁵
George Washington Olds appeared on the census of 1 Jun 1900 at Napa City, Napa County, California, as follows:
     Olds, George W., head, b. Feb. 1848, age 52, m. 20 years, b. Mass., parents b. New York, carpenter
      , Eunice D., wife, b. Jan. 1860, m. 20 years, 3 chn., 3 living, b. Iowa, father b. Mass., mother b. Vermont
      , Florence L., dau., b. April 1881, age 19, b.California, servant
      , Adelaide, dau., b. Sept 1882, age 17, b. California, baudes[bander?] (glove works)
      , Walter H., son, b. Sep. 1884, age 15, b. California, farm laborer.⁶

     George Wesley Olds was born on 18 Dec 1901 at Middlefield, Hampshire County, Massachusetts.¹ He was the son of Wesley Alpheus Olds and Mary Adelaide Cottrell.¹ George Wesley Olds married Grace Helen Cook on 10 Oct 1925 at Middlefield, Hampshire County, Massachusetts.² George Wesley Olds died in 1989.³ He was buried at Pine Grove Cemetery, Middlefield, Hampshire County, Massachusetts.⁴
     George Wesley Olds appeared on the census of May 1940 at Main Road, Middlefield, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, as follows:
     9 Olds, George W., head, 38, 8 yrs school, b. Mass., merchant in general store
      , Grace H., wife, 35, 4 yrs H S, b. Mass, Post Mistress in Post Office
      , Robert G., son, 13, 8 yrs school, b. Mass.
      , Shirley H., dau., 11, 5 yrs school, b. Mass.
      , Marie A., dau., 10, 4 yrs school, b. Mass.
      , Hazel M., dau., 7, 1 yrs school, b. Mass.
      , Nancy J., dau., 5, 0 yrs school, b Mass.
[The family lived in the same house on 1 April 1935.]⁵
     "George Wesley Olds owned and operated the General Store in Middlefield and was Town Clerk for 45 years, Town Treasurer for 33 years, member of the Planning Board for 35 years, Past Master of the Grange, Men's Club, Highland Agricultural Society and the Masons.

"George and Grace were married on October 10, 1925 in Middlefield MA.

"This citation from Middlefield History, Sternagle and Cummings, pg. 498."³

     George Wesley Olds was born on 20 Aug 1824.¹ He was the son of James Newell Olds and Eunice Griswold.¹ George Wesley Olds died on 11 May 1850 at age 25.¹
     George Wesley Olds appeared on the census of 1850 at Franklin County, New York, as follows: George W. Olds, 25, male, neither married nor widowed, b. Vt., died in May [1850] of consumption, a carpenter and joiner.²