Wasco-Sherman County OR Archives Biographies.....Barnum, Ladru 1877 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ************************************************ ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Ila Wakley iwakley@msn.com April 8, 2006, 9:44 pm Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Pages 33-35 LADRU BARNUM. A product of Wasco county, Ladru Barnum has progressed with its development, giving his best efforts to every task that he has undertaken, and is now a forceful figure in financial circles of The Dalles, representing the First National Bank in an official capacity. He was born in 1877 in Moro and at that time Wasco, the “largest county in the world,” as it was called, comprised in its area what is now Sherman county. His father, Henry Barnum, was a native of New York state and in his youth yielded to the lure of the west, sailing around Cape Horn. He came to this region when eastern Oregon was one great cattle range, unfenced for hundreds of miles. He filed on a homestead in Wasco county, becoming the owner of the land on which the town of Moro was afterward built. There he spent the remainder of his life, raising cattle and horses on an extensive scale, and his homestead is now the state and federal demonstration farm for eastern Oregon. Mr. Barnum was a broad-minded man of generous impulses and in his will provided for the maintenance of a school. For each of his children who a pupil at this school the district was to receive a bonus of seventy-five dollars per annum, provided he or she attended during three months of the school year. Mr. Barnum attained the full measure of success and in 1884 death terminated his useful and upright career. His widow, Mrs. Elmira (Masicker) Barnum, was born in Yamhill county, Oregon, and passed away in 1923. They were the parents of four children: E. E., a resident of The Dalles and one of the large wheat growers of this part of the state.; Ladru; A. H., a breeder of registered Hereford cattle and one of the leading stockmen of Sherman county; and Mrs. Ora M. Peetz, whose husband is county commissioner and maintains his home in Moro. Ladru Barnum attended the school established by his father and rode the range until he reached the age of twenty, becoming thoroughly familiar with the details of stock raising. When about sixteen he took part in the Moro rodeo, wearing chaps and riding wild steers, but the life of a cowboy was not to his liking and he determined to fit himself for a commercial career. He completed a course in the Portland Business College and for six months was a clerk in the general store in Klondike, Sherman county. Afterward he was employed in a similar capacity by the Moro Mercantile Company and in 1900 entered the service of the Wasco Warehouse & Milling Company of Moro as grain buyer, or chief field man. For twenty years he filled that important position, traveling throughout eastern Oregon and in addition he acted as manager of the bank operated by the company in Moro, assuming the duties of the latter office in 1903. Reared on a ranch, he has never lost his interest in agricultural matters and in 1912 was the prime mover in securing for the farmers of Sherman county a loan which saved them from what at one time looked like ruin, the amount obtained from eastern sources for that purpose being nearly three-quarters of a million dollars. On March 6, 1919, he came to The Dalles and has since been vice president and general manager of the First National Bank. Mr. Barnum has aided materially in making this one of the strongest and most important financial institutions of Oregon and is also vice president of the Bank of Moro, a director of the Bank of Wasco and of the Eastern Oregon Banking Company of Shaniko. The First National Bank of The Dalles was organized in 1885 and started with a capital stock of fifty thousand dollars. Its first election was held December 28, 1885, and David P. Thompson was called to the presidency of the bank, of which John S. Schenck became vice president, while Hamilton M. Beall was chosen cashier. At that time George A. Liebe and Griffith E. Williams were selected as their associates on the board of directors. As a result of the annual election of January 12, 1892, J. S. Schenck became president of the bank and H. M. Beall continued as cashier. The latter resigned July 15, 1893, and on July 22, 1893, J. M. Patterson assumed the duties of cashier. On January 8, 1901, H. M. Beall replaced G. A. Liebe as vice president and Max A. Vogt became cashier. The capital stock remained unchanged until December 28, 1905, when it was increased to one hundred thousand dollars. W. C. Waldron tendered his resignation as bookkeeper and on July 25, 1904, F. W. Sims was selected to fill the position. H. M. Beall resigned as vice president on January 9, 1906, and G. A. Liebe was then recalled to that office, of which he was the incumbent until January 14, 1908. E. M. Williams was then elected vice president and F. W. Sims was made assistant cashier. On July 5, 1911, the surplus was increased to one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars. J. S. Schenck died October 16, 1913, and on November 3, 1913, Max A. Vogt was elected president of the bank, while F. W. Sims was advanced to the post of cashier. Max A. Vogt died January 23, 1919, and on March 6, 1919, the following officers were elected: E. M. Williams, president; E. O. McCoy and L. Barnum, vice presidents; and F. W. Sims, cashier. There were no further changes until June 15, 1927, when J. W. Hoech was elected a director and vice president. The present officers are: E. M. Williams, president; E. O. McCoy and J. W. Hoech, vice presidents; L. Barnum, vice president and general manager; F. W. Sims, cashier; and W. H. Wilhelm, L. A. Littleton, Max Kasberger, J. F. Tureck and J. L. Secton, assistant cashiers. The directorate is composed of L. Barnum, J. W. Hoech, J. L. Kelly, E. O. McCoy and E. M. Williams. The statement issued by the bank at the close of business on October 10, 1927, showed a capital of one hundred thousand dollars; a surplus and undivided profits of one hundred and eight-eight thousand, four hundred and forty-six dollars, deposits amounting to two million, four hundred and seventy- seven thousand, nine hundred and eighty-two dollars, and total resources of two million, eight hundred and ninety thousand, seven hundred and twenty-eight dollars. In 1911 the old home of the institution was replaced by a new modern, class A bank building, five stories in height. It is made of pressed brick and stands in the center of the business district. The bank occupies all of the lower floor and the remaining stories of the building contain office suites leased by local business and professional men. The bank pays three per cent interest on savings accounts and has safe deposit boxes for rent. Up-to- date banking appliances facilitate the work and the service is adapted to every need. On January 13, 1927, the First National Bank of The Dalles took over all the deposits of the Wasco County Bank, making this one of the largest and foremost moneyed institutions in eastern Oregon. Mr. Barnum was married June 30, 1900, in Moro to Miss May Kunsman, a native of Ohio and a daughter of John and Mary Kunsman, both of whom passed away in Oregon. Their younger children, Roy and Mary Kunsman, were reared by Mr. Barnum and carefully nurtured. Roy is engaged in business at Arlington, Oregon, and has a wife and one child, Barbara May. Mary is now Mrs. Newton Crosfield, of Wasco, Oregon, and has a son, Newton Ladru. During the World war Mr. Barnum was head of the local Red Cross organization and food administrator for his county. He was chairman of every bond and stamp drive in Sherman county and also participated in the campaigns promulgated by the Young Men’s Christian Association. For a considerable period he was chairman of the republican county committee of Sherman county and for seventeen years was its representative on the republican state central committee. While a resident of Moro he was a school director for eight years and also filled the offices of councilman and mayor. For four terms he was president of The Dalles Chamber of Commerce and acted as district trustee of the local Kiwanis club for a similar length of time. He is also a member of The Dalles Golf & Country Club and a Knight Templar Mason, holding the thirty- second degree in that order. In the blue lodge he is past master and is a Noble of the Mystic Shrine. He has been through all of the chairs in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and is likewise connected with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and is a past patron of the Eastern Star. His wife belongs to the last named order, is past worthy matron and was active in the Grand Chapter. Enterprising, broad-minded and unselfish, Mr. Barnum has demonstrated his public spirit by actual achievements for the general good and the rules which govern his life are such as constitute the basis of all honorable and desirable prosperity. Additional Comments: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Volume II, Chicago, The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1928 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/or/wasco/bios/barnum17gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/orfiles/ File size: 9.6 Kb