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The Klickitat County Agriculturist, January 30, 1909, page 16

DEATH OF J.O. LYLE

J.O. Lyle, for whom the town of Lyle was named and who, for many years owned the ranch later purchased by The Balfours, died at his home at Lyle this week. He was a pioneer resident of Klickitat county and was well known by the older residents of Goldendale. James O. Lyle, was a retired farmer residing four miles northwest of Lyle postoffice, at what is known as the "Hewett" place. He was born in Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, June 4, 1831. James O. moved with his parents to Indiana when six years of age, they later proceeding to Iowa and settling near what was later known as Agency City, the Indians having been removed from that place to their reservation but a short time before. In Iowa, he remained on the home farm with his parents until twenty years of age, then taking up stage driving between Mt. Pleasant and Oskaloosa. He was thus employed until 1853. Then with a few thousand other fortune seekers he got the "gold fever" and started to California with an ox team. The consideration of his passage was one hundred dollars, he in addition to driving a team all the way, missing only one day during the five and a half months required to make the trip. In Fiddle Town, California, the tiresome journey terminated and here Mr. Lyle began mining, remaining thus engaged until April, 1856. Then he took of the passage on the Golden Age, bound for Iowa, via Panama route. Ill luck attended his journey. The Golden Age was wrecked two hundred miles from Panama on an island and here the hapless passengers lived several days, scantily supplied with the necessities of life, until rescued by another vessel. After this narrow escape, Mr. Lyle proceeded to Iowa as best he could and arrived safely. He lived in Iowa until 1863, during which time he was married. In the year mentioned he again crossed the Plains, his objective point this time being The Dalles, Oregon. Shortly after his arrival he rented a place at Rowena, a short distance down the river from The Dalles, where he lived two years, then buying of a squaw man, a farm situated on the Washington side of the Columbia river. This property became the townsite of Lyle, and long before there was much of a town there, a post office was established, of which Mr. Lyle was postmaster for eight years. In the spring of 1892 Mr. Lyle sold this property to the Balfours, English capitalists. He then purchased three hundred and twenty acres of land on Camas prairie and a quarter section a few miles northwest of Lyle, which he has since divided between his daughter, Mrs. I.B. Hewett, and son, G.B. Lyle, himself retiring from the more wearing activities of farm life. In 1857, Mr. Lyle married Miss Martha Snipes, then a resident of Iowa, who died in 1887. Ben Snipes, a noted cattleman of Klickitat county during the early days, is her brother. Her parents were Elam and Acenith Snipes, pioneers of this country, the former a native of North Carolina, in which state he attained manhood. He came to Klickitat county in 1863, and resided there until the time of his death in 1894. Children that had been born to the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Lyle are: Charles E., deceased; George B., and Sarah A., now Mrs. I.B. Hewett. No man residing in Klickitat county was better entitled to the honors due old settlers than Mr. Lyle. This county, when he first saw it, contained little evidence of the civilization that was to follow his arrival. Indians were the only established inhabitants; their crooked trails the only roads across the unplowed prairies, and life and property were safe or otherwise according to the strength of the persons who defended them.

The Klickitat County Agriculturist, Goldendale, WA., February 13, 1909, page 14
"'Round and About the Lyle Community"

Mr. J.O. Lyle is improving, and is a long ways from being dead, as some correspondent in the Agri. had him. He come very near crossing the river to the land where no one ever returns. We are glad to see the old man so much better, as he is the oldest pioneer in Lyle, being the only person here when your correspondent arrived on this side of the river, and it is 34 years since we came to Klickitat county. Mr. Lyle has lived at Lyle for 43 years to my knowledge.
G.B. Lyle and wife, and some of their children, Ed Snipes and several others were called to the bedside of J.O. Lyle last week, and all hopes were about given up; but he is now better and we have hopes of his recovery.

The Klickitat County Agriculturist, October 20, 1909, page 2
"Klickitat Intelligence"

J.O. Lyle, for whom the town of Lyle was named and who, for many years owned the ranch later purchased by The Balfours, died at his home at Lyle Tuesday, Oct. 19, 1909. He was a pioneer resident of Klickitat county and was well known by the old residents of Goldendale. James O. Lyle, was a retired farmer residing four miles northwest of Lyle postoffice, at what is known as the "Hewitt" place. He was born in Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, June 4, 1831. James O. moved with his parents to Indiana when six years of age, they later proceeding to Iowa and settling near what was later known as Agency City, the Indians having been removed from that place to their reservation but a short time before. In Iowa, he remained on the home farm with his parents until twenty years of age, then taking up stage driving between Mt. Pleasant and Oskaloosa. He was thus employed until 1853. Then with a few thousand other fortune seekers he got the "gold fever" and started to California with an ox team. The consideration of his passage was one hundred dollars, he in addition to driving a team all the way, missing only one day during the five and a half months required to make the trip. In Fiddle Town, California, the tiresome journey terminated and here Mr. Lyle began mining, remaining thus engaged until April, 1856. Then he took of the passage on the Golden Age, bound for Iowa, via Panama route. Ill luck attended his journey. The Golden Age was wrecked two hundred miles from Panama on an island and here the hapless passengers lived several days, scantily supplied with the necessities of life, until rescued by another vessel. After this narrow escape, Mr. Lyle proceeded to Iowa as best he could and arrived safely. He lived in Iowa until 1863, during which time he was married. In the year mentioned he again crossed the Plains, his objective point this time being The Dalles, Oregon. Shortly after his arrival he rented a place at Rowena, a short distance down the river from The Dalles, where he lived two years, then buying of a squaw man, a farm situated on the Washington side of the Columbia river. This property became the townsite of Lyle, and long before there was much of a town there, a post office was established, of which Mr. Lyle was postmaster for eight years. In the spring of 1892 Mr. Lyle sold this property to the Balfours, English capitalists. He then purchased 320 acres of land on Camas prairie and a quarter section a few miles northwest of Lyle, which he has since divided between his daughter, Mrs. I.B. Hewitt, and son, G.B. Lyle, himself retiring from the more wearing activities of farm life. In 1857, Mr. Lyle married Miss Martha Snipes, then a resident of Iowa, who died in 1887. Ben Snipes, a noted cattleman of Klickitat county during the early days, is her brother. Her parents were Elam and Acenith Snipes, pioneers of this county. Children that had been born to the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Lyle are: Charles E., deceased; George B., and Sarah A., now Mrs. I.B. Hewitt. No man residing in Klickitat county was better entitled to the honors due old settlers than Mr. Lyle. This county, when he first saw it, contained little evidence of the civilization that was to follow his arrival. Indians were the only established inhabitants; there crooked trails the only roads across the unplowed prairies, and life and property were safe or otherwise according to the strength of the persons who defended them.

The Klickitat County Agriculturist, Goldendale, WA., October 30, 1909, page 8
"County Doings"
"'Round and About the Lyle Community"

Died, on October 19th, 1909, at 9:30 o'clock a.m., James O. Lyle, aged 78 years, 4 months, and 15 days. James O. Lyle was born in Pennsylvania, June 4th, 1831, and come to the coast in the year 1853. Mr. Lyle has been Stage driver, miner, stockman, storekeeper, postmaster, and farmer. Mr. Lyle was ship wrecked on an island on the Panama Coast, in the year 1856. The last time Mr. Lyle came to this Coast was the year 1863, arriving at The Dalles, in that year. The next year he rented a place at what is now known as Rowena, where he lived until the year 1866, when he bought the place where that the Balfours' now own.
This property became the townsite of Lyle, about the year 1880, that is when Mr. Lyle went to Storekeeping; at the same time he was postmaster, which he held for 8 years. Mr. Lyle sold the Lyle farm, to the Balfours' in the year 1892. He then purchased 320 acres of land in Camas Prairie, and 160 acres a few miles northwest of Lyle, which he has since disposed of.
J.O. Lyle was married in 1857 to Miss M.H. Snipes, who died in 1887. Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. J.O. Lyle, Charles E., George B., and Sarah A. George B. Lyle, of Glenwood, being the only one living.
Mr. Lyle has been an invalid for the last two or three years. He belonged to the I.O.O.F., and Grange.
We have known Mr. Lyle since 1876, and always found him an honest man and one of the best of friends. He was one of the oldest pioneers in Klickitat, and oldest settler of Lyle. Mr. Lyle lived a long and useful life. May his memory ever be given, as the lost rites that were wheld over him by the I.O.O.F. lodge of Goldendale.
We join all of the friends in expanding their sympathy to George B. Lyle and family in their bereavement. May God bless and keep them.