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Albert Stephen Down From "History of Central Oregon," published 1906
Biographical Sketches of Lake County, pgs. 886-887 Albert Stephen Down has followed the sea a great many years and probably has seen as much of the world as any man in the state of Orgon. He is now a farmer and stock raiser residing two and one-half miles south from Lakeview, Oregon, where he says he is content to spend the remaining years of his life. He is a native of the historic city of Hastings, England, born July 9, 1837, the son of John and Mary (Stace) Down. The latter attained the age of seventy-eight years, dying in Hastings, October 8, 1895. Mr. Down is the eldest of a family originally comprising four children, only two of whom, himself and his youngest sister, are living. This sister is now Mrs. Mary Ann Clark, and is living at Hastings, England. She and her brother have not met since she was two years of age. Mr. Down went to sea on board a fishing boat at the age of ten years, and remained with this craft for four years, after which time he shipped with a merchant vessel as a common seaman. He was at his home in Hastings for the last time in 1855, thence went to Gothenburg, Sweden. He was in Constantinople in 1856, when peace was declared between Russia and the allied powers. From this city he voyaged to different parts of the civilized and uncivilized world, and in 1858 he left the sea to engaged in mining in Australia. There he became interested in many different mines, but in 1866 he abandoned the business and sailed for San Francisco, California, arriving at that city March 25, 1866. He left his ship and went to Sonoma county, where for four years he worked in the redwoods, and on February 23, 1870, he was married to Carrie Elizabeth Ballard, a native of Atchison, Missouri. Mrs. Down crossed the plains in a "prairie schooner" with her father in 1862, to Sonoma county. Her parents were Smithfield and Delina Ballard. In 1878, Mr. and Mrs. Down went to Colusa county, California, and in the spring of 1879 came to the Goose Lake valley, Oregon, and settled eleven miles west of Lakeview. Mr. Down purchased his present home in 1896. He has two hundred and sixty acres of land, the major proportion of which is choice hay land and well improved with good farm buildings, orchard, and so forth. Formerly, Mr. Down owned sheep, but he has disposed of them and is now engaged in raising cattle and horses in connection with farming. To Mr. and Mrs. Down have been born six children. Mrs. Effie Vernon, Lakeview; George, married to Myrtle Grimes, Lakeview, Mary wife of Flint Vernon, Lakeview; James, deceased since 1886, Anna, wife of Homer Pollard, San Jose; and Stephen. The first named has five children, the second one, and the third, four. Mr. Down was made a Mason in 1868 and now a member of the Lakeview lodge of that order. Both he and Mrs. Down are members of the Eastern Star. |