Transcribed from "An Illustrated History of The Big Bend Country, embracing
Lincoln, Douglas, Adams and Franklin counties, State of Washington",
published by Western Historical Publishing Co., 1904.
HOWARD
B. ROUSE is one of the younger men of Adams county whose thrift and industry
have assisted materially in building up the country from a barren waste
to one of the most wealthy in the state of Washington. He resides
ten miles southeast from Lind and gives his attention entirely to farming.
Howard B. Rouse was born in Greenwood, Nebraska, on September 21, 1875,
the son of J. S. and Sarah (Scroggin) Rouse, natives of Wisconsin and Iowa,
respectively. The parents made settlement in Nebraska in early days
then moved to Pomeroy, Washington, in 1876, our subject being but one year
of age. In 1890, he came to Adams county and engaged in stock raising
and farming. On October 5, 1897, the father finished his pilgrimage
and was buried with becoming ceremonies in this western country that he
had assisted to open and build up. The mother had died at Pomeroy,
in 1886. They were the parents of seven children, Norah, Arthur,
Carrie, Homer, Howard, Claude and Irvin.
Howard B. was educated
in the district schools of Garfield and Adams counties and at the early
age of sixteen, started out to do for himself. For five years he
labored for wages on the farms, then took up land and later purchased a
quarter section more, making his estate now one-half section. This
is all in a high state of cultivation, fenced, provided with buildings,
supplied with water and so forth and is a nice ranch. In addition
to this Mr. Rouse rents fourteen hundred acres of land, eight hundred of
which he farms to wheat. He has about twenty-five head of horses,
some very fine blooded stock, abundance of machinery for his farm and is
a well to do and prosperous man.
On June 17, 1900, Mr.
Rouse married Miss Maude Nolan. Her parents, M. C. and Sarah F. (Harbert)
Nolan, were natives of Texas, and there remained until 1898, when they
journeyed to Adams county. Three years later, March 1, 1901, the
mother was called away by death, but the father still resides in this county.
They were the parents of three children, Brent, Mead and Monty. To
Mr. and Mrs. Rouse, one child, Leta, has been born.
In political affairs,
we find our subject interested in and supporting the principles of the
Democratic party. He and his wife are members of the Christian church
and are well known as very substantial and intelligent people.
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