Since the opening of the Nez Perces reservation the subject of this sketch has been a resident of this County and is one of the promoters of industrial labor, while also he does a general farming business. He has a fine sawmill on his place two and one half miles southeast from Winchester.
Mr. Palmer was born in Sauk County, Wisconsin, on December 22, 1856, being the son of Benoni F. and Eliza J. (Denslow) Palmer. The father was a carpenter, born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1822 and died in 1S98. He was a pioneer in Wisconsin. The mother was born in Ohio in 1839, and died in 1897.
Our subject remained at home, learning the carpenter trade and working with his father until of age. Also during this time he received his education from the schools of his home place. Then he started in life for himself. He went to North Dakota on the Northern Pacific Railroad, built a warehouse and did a contracting lousiness. Returning to Cincinnati, he labored for seven years in contracting business. He then came west to Spokane, Washington, went prospecting for several years, meeting with varying success and then came to Latah County and wrought at his trade. Four years were spent there and then he went to Tacoma and labored at ship building for four years. It was 1897 when Mr. Palmer came to Nez Perces County and took his present place, where he erected a tine saw mill and does a good business.
In 1887 Mr. Palmer married Miss Sarah G., daughter of Henry Marston, a native of Wisconsin. Mrs. Palmer was born in Sauk County, Wisconsin, in 1871, and her marriage occurred in Colfax, Washington. She has neither brothers nor sisters. Mr. Palmer has the following named brothers and sisters: Helen Sprague, Elenor Townsend, Franklin, Orson, Rose, Grant and Lillie. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Palmer, Pearl and Claud. Mr. Palmer is an active Republican and is often at the convention, where he is an influential factor. Mrs. Palmer’s father was in the Civil War and Mr. Palmer had a number of uncles in the same struggle.
Source: An Illustrated History of North Idaho: Embracing Nez Perce, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho; Western Historical Publishing Company, 1903