Biographical Sketches of Braxton Duncan Southern
From Brief Biographical Sketches of the Founders and Builders of
Masonry Within the Commonwealth of Washington.
BRAXTON DUNCAN SOUTHERN was born in Giles County Virginia, in 1833, and came
to Washington in 1877. He is a farmer living near Goldendale. He was made
a Mason in Lebanon Lodge, Oregon, in 1874, and is a member and Past Master
of Ellenburg Lodge, No. 39.
From An Illustrated History of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas
Counties, pages 900-901.
BRAXTON DUNCAN SOUTHERN, a pioneer of 1877 in the Yakima valley, is now
residing in Thorp, having retired from active labors as an agriculturist.
Mr. Southern was born in Giles county, Virginia, May 3, 1833. He is the
son of John and Elizabeth Southern, both born in North
Carolina, the former in 1817. They were the parents of eighteen children,
of whom B. D. Southern is the youngest; his only surviving brother, Charles W. Southern, is an Illinois farmer. Besides the
eighteen children, the aged parents of the subject of this article possessed
before their deaths, eighty-eight grandchildren, three hundred and
eighty-seven great-grandchildren, one hundred and seventy-six
great-great-grandchildren, and eleven great-great-great-grandchildren. It
is told of the mother that she at one time remarked to her daughters, who
were gathered about her: "You may each of you well be proud, for your
daughter's daughter has a daughter." She died at the age of eighty-seven,
and her father lived to be ninety-two. The family settled on the "Black
Hawk purchase" in Iowa in 1839. The father died in 1840, and at a very
early age our subject was forced to assume the burdens of life, his early
education depending entirely upon his own efforts; and, there being no free
schools, it was necessary for him to earn money with which to pay tuition
fees. At the age of fifteen he quit school, and for a year clerked in a
wood yard on the Mississippi river, following this with a period of two
years as clerk on the river steamer, Kate Kearney. In 1851 the cholera
became epidemic in the Mississippi valley, and Mr. Southern moved to
Lagrange, Illinois, remaining about two years, a portion of the time in a
cooper shop, one summer on a farm, and then moved to Iowa, where he rigged
up a five-yoke team of oxen and for a time engaged in breaking prairie at
three dollars per acre. He followed farming until 1870, moving then to
Solano county, California, whence he removed in one year, on account of his
wife's health, to Linn county, Oregon, where he purchased land and farmed
until 1877 when he moved to Yakima county, Washington, locating four and
one-half miles west of Old Yakima. On account of the Indian troubles,
nothing was accomplished the first year on the farm. The family spent some
time in the sod fort on Ahtanum creek during the crisis of excitement, Mr.
Southern being chosen a captain of the gathered forces. Full details
regarding this fort and the Indian troubles will be found in the
chronological chapter of the history. In 1880 Mr. Southern sold a portion
of his Yakima farm and purchased land in the Kittitas valley, where, until
1900, he engaged in farming and stock raising. At this time he sold out,
and for two years farmed in Klickitat county, in turn selling out here and
retiring to his present home in 1902.
Mr. Southern was married October 6, 1853, in Michigan, to Nancy J. Veach,
daughter of Eli W. and Lucretia (Robinson) Veach. The father was born in
New Jersey in 1803 and died in 1855. He was a talented and an educated man
; taught school for many years, and for fully half his life was in public
office. The mother was a native of Kentucky, born in 1806. Mrs. Southern
was born in Cass county, Michigan, July 3, 1835. David Veach, of Thorp, and
William W. Veach, of Buckley, are brothers of Mrs. Southern. The children
of Mr. and Mrs. Southern are: Anna Rosa, born July 31, 1854 (deceased); L.
Roy, born April 6, 1856, living in Goldendale; Eli C, born February 24, 1858
(deceased); Seward, born July 10, 1862, living in Kittitas county; Corinne
Beck, born August 4, 1864, living in North Yakima; Selena M. Richards, born
December 28, 1866, living in Kittitas county; Earnest, born July 29, 1870,
living in North Yakima; Clara J., born July 21, 1872 (deceased); Edward E.,
born April 27, 1875, now a merchant of Thorp. Edward went to the
Philippines as lieutenant of Company H, First Washington Volunteers, and led
his company through the first battle. Mr. Southern is a prominent Mason,
having organized the Ellensburg lodge, of which he is now past grand master.
He and Mrs. Southern are members of the Methodist church. Politically, Mr.
Southern is a Republican. He is prominent and influential in all circles,
and is honored and esteemed as one of the most substantial and successful
pioneers in the valley.
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