My Family Tree

Lauchlin MacLean was born in Tyne Valley, Prince Edward Island, July 24, 1856 to Donald and Sarah (Ellis) MacLean, 5th child and second son of Donald and Sarah.

Donald and Sarah had five sons and eight daughters: William, Hugh and James Edward farmed on the Island, Donald (Dan) lived on the family homestead; The daughters married and lived on the Island: Emily, (Alexander McArthur), Mary Ann (Lauchlin McNevin), Rachel (James Horne) Maggie (Henry Ritchie), Mina (William H. Williams), Minerva (Thomas Adams), Caroline (Archibald McAusland) and Sarah (Matthew Horne).

Lauchlin went to work for the Prince Edward Island Railway when he was about 15 years old, starting as a water-boy and working his way up through other positions over the next three years. He was a foreman for three years after that.

A PEI newspaper dated July 8, 1880 - "Laughlin MacLean, section foreman of Port Hill Station No. 19, PEIRR resigned his position and started for the Western States. He has left behind his many friends that his kind manner has made for him. They wish him every possible success." However, he was age 24 and living at home at the time of the 1881 census, giving his occupation as railway engineer. He must have left the Island soon after this,

Lauchlin was later interviewed for histories of Washington State, and he gave a complete resume of his career up until about 1912. He spent two years with an engineering party on the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad at Beatrice, Nebraska, then 6 months as a brakeman on the Union Pacific Railroad near Cheyenne, Wyoming, Later he was promoted to conductor and ran a train for two and a half years. He then worked for the Northern Pacific Railroad Company and was one of the first conductors on a passenger train on the line from Pasco to Ellensburg. He then retired from railroad service.

Lauchlin was later involved in the Insurance business in the Puget Sound, the Yakima Valley, and later, in Spokane as an agent for the Home Accident Company of San Francisco. After a couple of years he entered into a partnership with Major Fred R. Reed, n the real-estate and insurance business of North Yakima. This was supposed to be from about 1886 - 1888. In 1888 Mr. MacLean developed a cattle ranch business near Bridgeport, but continued his real estate activities. In February, 1890, he came to Spokane, arriving her shortly after the fire.

Some family trees say that he married Carrie Van Zandt. "Laughlin MacLean b: Jul 24, 1856 d: Unknown ............. +Carrie Van Zandt b: Unknown in San Francisco, California, USA m: May 18, 1885 in Baie-Egmont, Prince Edward Island, Canada d: Unknown" Carrie Van Zandt was said to be the daughter of a Dr. Van Zandt, and there was a Caroline Van Zandt, daughter of Dr. John W. and Augusta Irene Van Zandt living in California in 1870 and 1880. In 1900, a widowed Caroline McLean was living with her mother Augusta Van Zandt in San Francisco. Her father died in 1903, his obituary noting that he had a daughter Caroline A. McLean. Caroline A. Van Zandt McLean married Edward Ambrose in 1906.

The Examiner reported on the marriage, noting that Lauchlin was a conductor on the Yakima railway - the marriage took place in San Francisco, not PEI. Carrie brought action for a divorce in California in 1887 - Lauchlin let the case go by default. (San Francisco Chronicle, 17 August 1887, pg 6)

Lauchlin later married Mrs. Laura Geneva (Stone) Hines (or Himes), a widow with one daughter, on January 15, 1888 in Cowlitz County, Washington State. Laura was a daughter of Nathan N. Stone, of Vicksburg, Mississippi, and Sarah Greely. MacLEAN, Lauchlin of Portland, Mltnmh Co OR mar 15 Jan 1888 at res of A F Cooper Kalama to Laura G HIMES of Wyoming Territory by F V McCarthy JP witnesses A F Cooper and Mollie Cooper

According to the book "Homesteaders of the Chelan Butte", Lauchlin was living in Chelan Falls in 1891, and was one of the founders of the Chelan Falls Water Power Company, and encouraged the development of an irrigation system. Other projects at Chelan Falls included a hotel, real estate office and a newspaper. Later, in 1897, Mr. MacLean took up a homestead on the east side of the Columbia River. This was in an area across the river from Dover and the present day Knapp's Coulee Tunnel. In the 1900, Lauchlin and Laura were living in River, Washinton and Lauchlin was farming. The family relocated to Wenatchee in 1901. In 1901, he promoted the high line ditch at Wenatchee, an immense irrigation project covering at that time eight thousand acres. He opened a real estate office there but still received his patent for his Columbia River homestead on September 11, 1903.

In June, 1903, he returned to Spokane, where he was involved in the organization of the Spokane Canal Company. He also promoted the Otis Orchards, for many years a major production centre of the northwest. He was the President and general manager of the company until April 24, 1911, and in the development of that project, six thousand acres were irrigated. In Spokane, he organized the Methow Canal Company and built the high line Canal of the Methow Valley, which covers four thousand acres.

Lauchlin and Laura had one son, Donald, born February 22, 1904. They had an adopted daughter, Della, age 10 in 1900, and in the 1910 US census they were living in Spokane, Washington with Sarah G? an adopted daughter, age 14. No further records were found for either adopted daughter.

In 1908, he formed a partnership with Harry L. Irwin of Chicago, and purchased the Fruit Land Irrigation Company at Kettle Falls, completing the last nineteen miles of ditch line. In June, 1910, he bought out the Garden Valley Irrigation Company.

Lauchlin became in expert on irrigation. He also became the president of the Sheep Creek Land Company, which planted one thousand acres in Stevens County to alfalfa and put in a complete irrigating system to cover it. He was active in the local Chamber of Commerce, and was a director of the National Apple Show.

The family was in Spokane, Washington until 1913, but were not in the 1915 Spokane directory, or in the 1920 US census. In the book "History of Central Washington" by Lindley M. Hull, it stated that Mr. MacLean relocated to California about 1915 where he soon passed away. Ford Van Voorhis agreed that Lauchlin moved to California, where he died before September 24, 1910. There was a Laughlin Maclean who died in California in September 1920 at age 64.

The Leavenworth Echo printed a short note in early October, 1920, stating that "A Pioneer Inland Empire railroad man is dead in the person of Lachlan MacLean formerly of Wenatchee and Spokane. He was conductor in charge of the first train over the Northern Pacific into Yakima and Ellensburg." (Leavenworth Echo Oct 1 1920, image 2, from the Chronicling America newspaper collection, found by cousin Gordon) Another newspaper said, "L. McLean, late mining man of Spokane started the immigration project at Otis Orchards..."(Spokane Chronicle 16 October 1920 pg 2) Another paper, citing a report from Wenatchee, Washington, added that he died in Oakland, California. (Clearwater Republican., October 01, 1920, Image 9)

Laura returned to Spokane.

 

MCLEAN FOR THE LEGISLATURE L. McLean, formerly of Wenatchee, may represent his district in the next legislature. Concerning his candidacy the Spokane Chronicle says: One of the strong candidates who has entered the field for legislative honors is L. McLean of Otis Orchard. : who aspires to represent the Third j Legislative District in the house, as a republican successor of R. A. Hutchinson, who is a candidate for the senate.

Mr. McLean is a pioneer of Spokane county, having come here in 1882, since which time he has been prominently identified with public fairs and has aided in the development and upbuilding of the country. He has served for five years as a trustee of the Chamber of Commerce, and was recently re-elected to that important position. He is president of the Spokane Canal company, which has large holdings east of the city, and is also chief engineer of i the Methow Canal company. ! While Mr. McLean makes his home at Otis Orchard, he spends much of his time in the city, where most of his interests are located. Thus far he is the only man who has announced himself as a candidate from this district, except J. B. Gilbert of Rockford, who seeks reelection, but who, as there are two to re-elec., will not be an opponent of Mr. McLean. The only c/ier candidate who has been spoken of from this district is Elmer E. Hall, who has not yet made any formal declara| tion that he will enter the race. February 11, 1908 The Wenatchee Daily World from Wenatchee, Washington

Sources:

The Homesteaders of Chelan Butte
By Ford Van Voorhis

http://www.watsonsresort.com/harverene100_4.html

History of Spokane from archives.org.

Citing this Record: "Canada Census, 1881," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MVN7-XF2 : accessed 26 Jun 2013), Laughlin McLean in household of Donald McLean, Lot 13, Prince, Prince Edward Island, Canada.

The Big Dipper of Washington, by Alfred Jeffreys, Sunset magazine 1912 vol 29 page 702

Year: 1910; Census Place: Newman, Spokane, Washington; Roll: T624_1669; Page: 22A; Enumeration District: 0135; FHL microfilm: 1375682 Source Information Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.