LANE, THERON W. 1858 -

LANE, MILLER

Posted By: C Street (email)
Date: 7/7/2005 at 10:50:46

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.

THERON W. LANE was born near Kendallville, Iowa, on May 26, 1858, the son of Abraham and Sarah Lane, natives of Pennsylvania and pioneers to Iowa. There were seven children, five boys and two girls, in the family. Two of the boys and both of the girls are now deceased. Theron W. was the oldest of the family and resides at Bridgeport. W. D., the youngest, resides at Seattle and is a well known member of the firm of Douglas, Lane & Douglas. Rev. L. L. is a minister of the gospel at Sisseton, South Dakota. Our subject spent his early life on the farm and as the father had very poor health, it required the utmost labors of them all to maintain the family. After the death of his father, our subject started out in life for himself, leaving the family and the aged mother to the care of the younger brothers. After acquiring a fair English education, he gathered sufficient means to enable him to enter the law department of the State University of Iowa, whence he graduated on June 22, 1881, receiving the degree of LL. B. He also received a diploma of admission to the supreme court in the state of Iowa and the United States district and circuit courts. In November, 1881, he formed a partnership with Eli Bennett of Big Stone City, Dakota, which was dissolved in a few months. Mr. Lane then opened a law office at Wilmot, South Dakota, and was soon elected district attorney of Roberts county. Owing to the county seat contest, which was not settled in the courts, the matter was taken to the legislature and a rider of the bill that established the county seat controversey, inaugurated Mr. Lane's opponent as prosecuting attorney. Rather than quarrel, even though he had been wronged, Mr. Lane turned to the west and arrived at Spokane Falls, in May, 1885. After looking about for some time, he came to Okanogan, then the county seat of Douglas county. As the country was very new and no legal business to be done, he entered a pre-emption and timber culture, one mile east from town. After that, he went to Walla Walla, where he was joined by his wife and they journeyed to Weston, Oregon, where they taught school for several months. Following that, they came to Douglas and taught school and followed various other enterprises until finally after two years there, Mr. Lane was called to attend the first case tried in the county, so far as he knows. It was before Captain Miles, justice of the peace on Badger Mountain. He also tried a case before J. E. Hetley, justice of the peace, that same winter. This was the last of the law business for some time, and in fact Mr. Lane has never engaged in the practice of law for a livelihood, although he has done thousands of dollars worth of business in the county.

In South Dakota, Mr. Lane married Miss Mary Miller, a native of Westfield, Wisconsin. To this union, four children have been born Arthur, aged eighteen; Goldie, aged fifteen; Mabel, aged eleven, and Lillian, aged two. Mr. Lane, does not seek to engage in professional life, preferring to reside on his farm to earning his living by the sweat of his face. Many come to him seeking legal advice and are never turned away, but he is better satisfied with the quietness of the agricluturist's career than the stormy life of an attorney.