Person:Charles Matthews (22)

    Among the well known and influential pioneers of Whatcom county was the late C. W. Matthews, who, after a useful and successful life, passed on to a higher plane of action. When he and his wife came here, forty-five years ago, they found a wooded country, and were compelled to clear the land before a crop could be raised, but he was a man of courage and farsightedness, and underwent the hardships and trials of a pioneer life in order that those who came after him might reap the benefits of the homestead which he created. His career and the history of this locality during the subsequent years were practically the same, for he took an active part in the development of this district and was long recognized as one of the leading men of the community.
   Mr. Matthews was born in Delaware county, New York, on the 15th of November, 1840, and his death occurred on the 21st of January, 1916, in the seventy-sixth year of his age. He was a son of Thomas and Sarah Jane (Gregory) Matthews, lifelong residents of New York state. He received his education training in the district schools of his home neighborhood, and then learned the carpenter trade, at which he was employed until the outbreak of the Civil war, when he enlisted in the New York Volunteer Infantry, his company being commanded by Capt. John Clark. He served until the close of the war and was wounded in the engagement at Hilton Head, South Carolina. In 1866 he was married and then turned his attention to farming, which he followed there until 1874, when he moved to Illinois, where he remained about three years. His next move was to Kansas, and at the end of two years he made the trip by prairie schooner to Wyoming, reaching that state, July 23, 1880. Locating at Miner's Delight, he obtained work in the mines but about a year later again turned his face westward, traveling by railroad to San Francisco, California, and thence by boat to Port Townsend, Washington, arriving at Bellingham, Whatcom county, July 2, 1881. Soon afterward Mr. Matthews filed on one hundred and sixty acres of land in Ferndale township and applied himself with energy to the task of clearing it and getting it ready for cultivation. In 1884 he built the first house on the place, being compelled to wait a long time for lumber, there being no sawmills in that locality. He cleared eighty acres of the land, created a splendid homestead and devoted himself indefatigably to its operation during the remainder of his active years, the ranch being now managed by his widow. About 1905 Mr. Matthews bought twenty acres of cleared land adjoining his place, and thus had one hundred acres in cultivation. It is fine land and through all the years of his operations here Mr. Matthews so managed the rotation of crops and the care of the soil as to realize handsome returns for his labor. He was a man of cool-headed judgment, wise discrimination and sound common sense, and the prosperity which crowned his efforts was well merited. In 1908 Mr. Matthews built a substantial and commodious barn and in 1909 erected the splendid modern house in which the family still lives, and a fine silo, where provision is made for winter feed. At one time he ran a large dairy, and Ms. Matthews now keeps five cows. Modern farm machinery, including a tractor, is employed in the cultivation of the farm and in every respect the Matthews place is considered one of the best, as it is one of the oldest farms in the western part of Whatcom county.

    On December 25, 1866, Mr. Matthews was married to Miss Angelica Shaver, who was born in Delaware county, New York, November 2, 1850, a daughter of James W. and Juliet (Davis) Shaver. The father was born, lived and died in Duchess county, New York, and the mother, who was born in Delaware county, New York, died in Jacksonville, Mississippi. To Mr. and Mrs. Matthews were born eight children: Mrs. Cora McClanahan, who was born in New York state, now lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, and is the mother of three sons, Abner, Wesley, who has a son, Wesley Boyd, and Cassius Martin; Orrie, who was born in New York, now lives with his mother and operates the home ranch; Mrs. Juliet McClanahan, born in New York, now lives at Langley Prairie, and is the mother of three sons, Leonard, Cecil and Sylvester; James, born in Kansas, is married and is the father of four daughters, Grace, Anna Claire, Ruth and Laura May; Lyman, born in Washington, is married and has a daughter, Eunice; Mrs. Jennie Isaacson was born in Washington; Sheridan, born in Washington, is married and has six children, Shirley, Lyle, Billie, Phyllis, Ted (deceased) and Ned, twins. Billie, born in Washington, enlisted for the World war in Company F, Sixth Battalion, Twentieth Engineers, was sent overseas on board the "Tuscania," which was torpedoed at sea, February 5, 1918, and he was killed, being the first boy from Whatcom county to lose his life in the World war.
   Mrs. Matthews is one of the few real pioneers of this locality still remaining, and she talks in a very interesting and entertaining manner of the early days in this locality, when it was practically a solid wilderness, with not even a well-defined path, and when one had to be on the constant lookout for wild animals, such as the bear and cougar, which roamed the forests at will. It required real courage to remain here and create a home under such conditions, but she has never regretted coming to the west. Mr. Matthews was a worthy example in all that constituted true manhood and good citizenship and none stood higher than he in the confidence and esteem of his fellow citizens. His career was characterized by duty faithfully performed, by faithfulness to every trust reposed in him, by industry, thrift and wisely-directed efforts, which resulted in the accumulation of a liberal share of this world's goods, besides earning a reputation which was never clouded by unworthy acts.
(From The History of Whatcom County, by Lottie Roeder Roth)

1. ↑ Roth, Lottie Roeder. History of Whatcom County. (Bellingham, Washington: , 1926).
2. ↑ U.S. Civil War soldier Records and Profiles, Ancestry.com.

   Charles W. Mathews (sic) enlisted as a Private at the age of 24 on 31 Aug 1864 at Andes, NewYork. He mustered into service on 4 Sep 1864 and mustered out on 24 Jun 1865 at Hilton Head, South Carolina.