Samuel J. Markham resides at Gifford and is one of the promoters of the town, being also a progressive and public minded man of wisdom and energy whose assiduous labors have placed him as one of the substantial developers of the country. Mr. Markham has also donated much land for the benefit of the town and labors hard to build it up.
S. J. Markham was born in Marion County, Oregon, on November 2, 1867, being the son of Cyrus and Ann (Bowman) Markham, natives of Missouri and Iowa. Our subject was educated in the public schools and when seventeen his father died. Just previous to that the family had come to Idaho, near Genesee. The mother proved up on the homestead the father had taken and Samuel continued with her and working for the neighbors until he was twenty-three. Then he and his brother traded stock for a quarter section on the rim rock, out from Genesee. Later they sold and rented in different places until the reservation opened and the first day he and his brother filed. He has a fine piece of land and, as said above, has sold and given away considerable to foster the town. Mr. Markham has one brother, Fred, and three half sisters, Carrie, wife of George Wayne at Mason’s Butte; Minnie, wife of Charles Sampson at Lewiston; Margaret, wife of Alfred Sampson, in Lawyer’s canyon.
On May 25, 1890, Mr. Markham married Mary C, daughter of William W. and Minerva C. (Ingle) Loper, natives respectively of Mississippi and Tennessee. Mrs. Markham was born in Benton County, Arkansas, on January 3. 1874. She has two brothers: James T. and William. She has the following sisters: Nancy D., wife of George A. Smith; Margaret, wife of Oscar Rogers, of Gifford. Her parents now reside in Lewiston. To Mr. and Mrs. Markham have been born three children: Mabel C., Alta and Harlond C. Mr. and Mrs. Markham are members of the Methodist Church and he is one of the trustees of the church. Mr. Markham is a school director and is independent in politics. Among the other things which Mr. Markham has donated is a lot for a parsonage and two thousand feet of lumber, which he hauled, half of a lot for, a church, and other items as well. Mrs. Markham’s brother, James T. is a preacher in the Methodist church. Her father served in the Civil war. Mr. Markham is a man of reliability and is one of the substantial factors of the community.
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Source: An Illustrated History of Northern Idaho, Embracing Nez Perce, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone Counties, Western Historical Publishing Company, 1903