Biography of Jacob E. Freeburn

As a pioneer of the country adjacent to Forest and one of the untiring laborers to bring development and progress, we chronicle the items of the career of our subject and grant him space in the history of his County.

Jacob E. Freeburn was born in Franklin County, Iowa, on December 27, 1856, being the son of William Freeburn, who was born in New Jersey, on August 6, 1817. He was an enrolling officer in the Civil war and received an honorable discharge at the close of the war. He married Elizabeth, daughter of John and Maggie Shannon, and died in August, 1901. The following named children were born to this union: John P., a soldier in the Civil war; William, Wesley S., Mary C. Brockman, Matilda Peters, Clara Welch, Charlie E., Martha W., Clark, Maggie, Upton, and also the subject of this article.

Jacob E. worked at home until he was twenty-four and then married Martha, the daughter of Allen W. and Emily Bottorff. The father was born in Iowa and the mother was born in Illinois on September 27. 1828. They had the following named children in addition to Mrs. Freeburn, James M., Jacob, Sarah J. Keen, Laura M. Carter, William A., Theodosia Krowlman.

After his marriage the subject of our sketch went to farming in Nebraska and continued for three years. Then came a move to Walla Walla, whence he came to Nez Perces County and bought one hundred and sixty acres of land. He conducted a hotel and bar in Morrow and then in Forest for a time. Later he located on unsurveyed land on the Salmon, where he is now running a band of cattle. He has over fifty head of stock and also a house and lot in Forest. He has bought and sold considerable town property and was one of the very first to settle in its precincts. To Mr. and Mrs. Freeburn there have been born five children, Emma E. Critchfield, Jessie M. Lemons, William A., Cora E., Delia V.

Mr. Freeburn has done a great deal to build up the country and is one of the influential men of the section.

Back to: Nez Perce Biographies

Source: An Illustrated History of Northern Idaho, Embracing Nez Perce, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone Counties, Western Historical Publishing Company, 1903

1 thought on “Biography of Jacob E. Freeburn”

  1. Jacob Freeburn was my great-grandfather and many of us are proud he owned a respectable saloon in Forest, Idaho! Also, more seriously, his son William married a young woman who was one of the first teacher’s in the area in a one room school house. True pioneers they were.
    Lawrence Freeburn, Seattle

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