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.
ROBERT L. PLAYFAIR is one of
the younger men of Douglas county and has achieved a brilliant success
in his labors. He is at the present time, residing about two and
one half miles southeast from Wilsoncreek where he has a fine home place
and is giving his attention to raising stock. Robert L. Playfair
was born in Perthshire, Scotland, on September 8, 1871, the son of Charles
G. and Margaret (Lunnan) Playfair, natives also of Scotland. He was
educated in the parochial schools and in the high school of Dundee.
He remained in his native land until 1888, when he came direct to Washington
and began work for the Urquhart Brothers. After sometime in their
employ, he located the land where he now lives as a homestead and turned
his attention to raising cattle. He began with the ordinary stock
to be had here but has bred them up until he has now a large herd of very
fine stock. In 1901 he opened a general merchandise establishment
at Wilsoncreek, carrying all kinds of supplies in addition to store goods
and soon after the business was well started, he sold out to the Nichols
Brothers, then gave his entire attention to stock raising. In addition
to the property mentioned. Mr. Playfair owns one hundred and sixty
acres of land where the residence portion of Wilsoncreek is being built.
He has one brother, Charles W. and two sisters, Margaret L. and Isabella
C.
On February 16, 1896, at Cheney, Washington,
Mr. Playfair married Miss Gertrude Hull. Her father, Thomas Hull,
now deceased, was a native of Ohio and served in Company D, Eleventh Wisconsin
Volunteer Infantry, during the Civil war. He was a resident of Douglas
county at the time of his death. His wife, Angeline (Corothers) Hull,
is a native of Indiana. Mrs. Playfair was born in Sherburn, Minnesota,
in 1877, and has three brothers and four sisters, John R., James E., Eugene
T., Mrs. Elizabeth Ford, Mrs. Ulilla Powell, Mrs. Loretta Gillespie and
Mrs. Alice Orrock. To Mr. and Mrs. Playfair, one child has been born,
Athol Christy. The date of his birth was February 22, 1897.
Mr. and Mrs. Playfair are members of the Presbyterian church. He
is a man of great energy and possessed of an aggressive spirit, yet all
of his labors have been marked with due conservatism and guided by excellent
wisdom, so much so that every venture of his has culminated in success.
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