The passing of a pioneer who helped tame the West
Donald C. Cresswell, who arrived in the Oregon Territory in 1852, dies at 86, leaving behind a legacy of resilience and old-fashioned independence.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Donald C. Cresswell, aged 86, one of the West’s earliest pioneers, one of the first settlers of this section, and father of Don F. and Fred Cresswell, of this valley, died Monday at the home of his daughter near Walla Walla. The funeral was held Wednesday from the Cookerly Cantonwine chapel, interment being in the Masonic plot of Mountainview cemetery, Walla Walla. Mr. Cresswell was born in the state of Illinois, January 22, 1830 and there received his education. At the age of 22 years he started west and settled near Salem, Oregon, in 1852. He lived there about three years when he moved into this district where he acquired extensive land holdings. About 16 years ago he went to Ballou, a suburb of Walla Walla, where he made his home with his daughter, Mrs. S. Simard. G. H. Mottinger, who became acquainted with Mr. Cresswell in the early days, pays the following tribute: 'He was one of those hardy, rugged ones who had the courage and tenacity to help tame the wild west and make it a more fit and pleasant place to live than it was 50 years ago. He had a straight-forward, candid, open honesty that knew no veneer of conventionality. First a farmer and gardener, then a stockman; he was proficient in everything he undertook, and while never wealthy, he always helped those who were in need.'
“The hardships he endured would discourage those of the present day.”
Obituaries for 19th-century pioneers often served as civic touchstones for towns trying to define their identity. Today, as Kennewick faces rapid growth and urbanization, the 'rugged independence' attributed to these early settlers remains a frequent point of nostalgic comparison in local discourse.
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