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.
THOMAS E. TALKINGTON resides
just east from Harrington and was born on January 9, 1864, in Sebastian
county, Arkansas. His parents were Joseph and Rebecca A. (Kirk) Talkington.
Thomas E. was reared on the old homestead and received his education from
the common schools adjacent. At the age of eighteen, he began to
work for himself, taking up the business of buying and selling stock.
This was followed until the spring of 1888, when he came west to Los Angeles,
California. For a time he wrought for wages and then journeyed on
to Lincoln county, Washington. He began work by the month here for
a while then went into partnership with his father in handling school land.
They raised some grain and stock and continued for several years.
In 1893, he and his brothers lost their entire crop, owing to the wet weather.
The following year, they raised eleven thousand bushels of number one wheat
and sold the whole amount at an average of eighteen cents per bushel.
Owing to the failure of the year previous to this calamity, they were nearly
broken up in business and our subject was over two thousand dollars in
debt personally. However, he had demonstrated one thing to his own
satisfaction and that was that the Big Bend country would produce wheat.
Knowing that, he remained in the country and accordingly went to work again.
In 1896, he secured good crops again and the following year he did as well.
In 1898, he purchased a half section of land and paid for the same with
two crops, besides buying much machinery and doing other things.
Later, he sold that farm and bought two hundred and fifty-three acres where
he now lives. The same is improved in first class shape. A
fine ten room, two story residence is his home and it is supplied with
all the conveniences, as bath, water piped into the house, heating appliances
and so forth. Plenty of barns, outbuildings and all improvements
needed are found, and all together it is one of the finest places and most
pleasantly located in this part of the county. He has devoted considerable
attention to raising mules and horses and has fine stock at the present
time. The farm is well equipped with machinery in addition to all
the smaller pieces needed and Mr. Talkington owns a fine combined harvester
which takes the standing grain and delivers it in sacks ready for market.
On Christmas, in 1894, occurred the marriage
of Mr. Talkington and Miss Bell Long, natives of Sebastian county, Arkansas.
They were schoolmates together in the east. The parents of Mrs. Talkington
are George W. and Jenette D., natives of Tennessee and Arkansas, respectively.
The father was an early pioneer of Arkansas and came to California in the
palmy days of placer mining. After seventeen years there, he returned
to Arkansas and later journeyed west to where Moscow is now located in
Lincoln county. There he took a homestead and remained until his
death in August, 1903. The mother is still living on the old homestead.
To Mr. and Mrs. Talkington, five children have been born, Wayne, Lloyd,
Opal, Delbert and Lois.
Our subject is a member of the I. O. O. F.
and the Encampment. He is also a member of the pioneers' association.
When Mr. Talkington came to this country,
he was practically without means and although he met many reverses here,
he is now one of the wealthy citizens of Lincoln county and his entire
property has been gained by virtue of his ability and industry.
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