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"Early History of Thurston County, Washington; Together with Biographies and
Reminiscences of those Identified with Pioneer Days." Compiled and Edited by
Mrs. George E. (Georgiana) Blankenship. Published in Olympia, Washington, 1914.
p. 258.
STEPHEN D. REINHART
"You must be sure to give prominent mention to the Reinhart family, and Mrs.
Reinhart's father, William Cock," was frequently told the compiler when
interviewing the few living men and women whose memory carried them back to
their associates of sixty-five years ago.
Stephen D. Reinhart was of German ancestry, but was himself a native of
Kentucky. He was educated in the State of Indiana and there was married to Miss
Sarah Cock. In 1852, when the tide of immigration was strong towards the land of
the setting sun, the young Reinharts, with their baby boy, William, started for
the long and dangerous trip over the old Oregon Trail. The journey was attended
with the almost incredible hardships and dangers which the immigrants were
called upon to endure. The oxen became exhausted when the alkali country was
reached, and finally Mr. Reinhart was obliged to separate the hind wheels of his
wagon from the front ones, fit a rude tongue to these and with this miserable
make-shift proceed on the journey to The Dalles.
Rafting his family and few worldly possessions to the Cascades. Mr.
Reinhart was here fortunate enough to secure the contract for loading a sloop
bound for Portland. This put the adventurer in funds again and provided a means
of passage down the Columbia to Portland. From this point the Reinharts took up
the line of march for the Puget Sound country. Reaching Grand Mound Prairie the
young man took up a donation claim and started a little home. Prosperity
had just begun to smile upon the family, when the Indian war broke out and they
were obliged to abandon their claim and seek shelter in the nearest blockhouse.
Mr. Reinhart hastened to tender his services toward the defense of the country
by enlisting in the rank of Washington volunteers.
After the close of the war the family removed to Olympia, where Mr.
Reinhart engaged in mill building, he having learned the trade of millwright in
his youth. He also at one time ran a saw mill. By this time he had acquired
considerable property and built for his home the house now owned by Mrs. Tew, on
the corner of Main and Fifteenth Streets. In 1862 Mrs. Reinhart's health began
to fail and they went to Grande Rounde, Oregon, in the hopes of her improvement.
This move not proving of benefit, they proceeded to Napa, California. Mrs.
Reinhart died a few years later at Calistoga Springs, Napa County. Mr. Reinhart
then brought his children back to Oregon, where he was made Indian agent at the
Grande Rounde reservation. Later, about the year 1872, Mr. Reinhart went to
Whatcom County, where he took up a claim of 160 acres of fine agricultural land
which he developed with the passing of years and with characteristic energy,
into one of the most valuable farms in that region. Mr. Reinhart was a member of
the Territorial Legislature for two terms, Justice of the Peace several terms,
and at the time of his death in 1901, was enjoying an unexpired term as State
Senator.
Besides the son William, who was born in the old home in Indiana, Senator
and Mrs. Reinhart were the parents of four sons and daughters born after
reaching the Coast. Of these Captain Calif S. Reinhart, Clerk of the Supreme
Court, until recently president of the Olympia National Bank and Captain of Co.
A., First National Guard of Washington, three times mayor of Olympia, his native
city, and a sister, Mrs. Carrie Chandler, whose home is in Bellingham survive.
William at the age of 23 died while returning from a sea voyage in Callao, and
was buried from the steamship Great Republic.
Mrs. Reinhart's father was the Col. William Cock who is well remembered
among Olympia pioneers. He was first Territorial Treasurer, serving in that
capacity from 1854 to 1861 and for many years prominently connected with the
business and social life of Olympia.
*******************
Submitted to the Washington Bios. Project in June 2007 by Diana Smith.
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.
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