Transcribed from "History of North Washington, an illustrated history
of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties", published by Western
Historical Publishing Co., 1904.
ANDREW J. BRACKETT. Okanogan
county is preeminently a mining section. While of course various
other industries are carried on and make large wealth for the county, still
mining is considered the leading industry. She has had to labor against
all the various obstacles in the way of a new county, such as lack of transportation,
wild cat schemes, and so forth. Nevertheless, progress, and excellent
progress, has been made in the mining industry and it has become patent
to the world that Okanogan county has some of the finest mineral deposits
in the northwest. The upbuilding and bringing forward of the county
has developed upon progressive and capable men, not least among whom we
would mention the subject of this article. Mr. Brackett is a thorough
mining man, while also he has had experience in various other lines of
industry. He is giving his entire attention to mining and real estate
at the present time, being located at Twisp. He is one of the members
of the Methow Valley Real Estate company and with S. F. Morgan owns the
Spokane and Twisp group of mines adjoining the Twisp. These gentlemen
bought this property in 1900, from John Gilliham, the locator. They
organized a company and proceeded at once with extensive development work.
About twenty thousand dollars have been expended in this line and the property
is ready for shipping ore, only waiting for shipping facilities.
It is a gold and silver property and has excellent values with a large
bed of ore.
Andrew J . Brackett was born in Rochester,
New York, on June 30, 1851. The father, Andrew J. Brackett, was an
importer of earthenware and married Miss Sarah W. Garfield, a descendant
of the Whiting family of Revolutionary fame. Our subject is the only
living member of the family, his parents, two sisters and one brother having
all died. Andrew J. remained in Rochester, where he received a good
academic education and then learned the machinist's trade. From 1875,
until 1880 he had charge of the D. R. Barton edge tool factory. After
this he spent a decade in the manufacture of malt at Rochester, and in
1890 he went to Valley City, Dakota, and took charge of one of the best
wheat farms in that section. In 1883 we find him in Minneapolis,
Minnesota, connected with the Northwestern Telephone company and there
he remained until 1900, the year of his advent in Okanogan county.
At Rochester, New York, in 1874, Mr. Brackett
married Miss Sarah L. Barton, who died in 1883. One child was born
to them which also died. In 1890, at Sodas, New York, Mr. Barton
married Miss Ada B. Williams. Mr. Brackett is considered one of the
leading mining men of the county and his excellent work, done on the Twisp
claims, shows what he has accomplished in this line. He has the esteem
and confidence of all who know him and he is richly deserving of the same.